The Mercies of God.
The Mercies of God.
Romans 9:15-16 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
When the mercies of God come into a man’s life, it answers all the questions of that life. Many think we need the mercies of God only when in dire circumstances, that’s true, but much more at all times, all seasons, all places, etc. The response of God’s mercies could be in various forms: to the Israelites, it was deliverance from the shackles of the Egyptians and an onward journey to the promised land (Exodus 4:30,31); to Jehoshaphat, it was a judgment upon the alliance of kings pitched against Judah (2 Chronicles 20:15-24); to Mary Magdalene, it was the forgiveness of her many sins (Luke 7:37-50); to Peter, it was prayer for rescue from the thoughts of Satan (Luke 22:31,32), etc. God has remained and will remain a beacon of hope and deliverance to all those who seek Him and much more, to those who serve Him in sincerity and truth.
God’s mercy has its ultimate culmination in the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary. It was the greatest show of mercy when God gave Him for our reconciliation and deliverance. Mercy is a consequential element of His love. Therefore, there’s nothing else that He will withhold from us if we seek after Him- Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Mercy is one of the expressions of love and they are mutually exclusive. You cannot have one without the other.
In another vein, mercy must not be misunderstood for connivance and allowance for wrongdoing. Many people, in expressing mercy, collude or encourage other people in unrighteousness and indigent characters. To be merciful may mean to chastise, reprove, or discipline another to whom it is being meted. It doesn’t invalidate the love in the heart neither does it portray any ill-feeling or evil thought toward the recipient- Hebrews 12:5-11 (verse 6: For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives).
Finally, the most profound premise of the mercy of God is in prayer. The outstanding examples of the Syrophenician woman (Mark 7:25-30) and blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) show us what receiving God’s mercy signifies. These wonderful examples demonstrated persistence and faith which drew the audience of the Master to alleviate their peculiar challenges despite opposing laws and voices. We will receive mercy for our lives, the lives of our loved ones, and the world around us if we would pertinently see God’s mercy and favor in prayer- II Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Pass me not, O gentle Savior- Fanny Jane Crosby.
1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain-
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.
3. Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?
