2026-04-03
Good morning, Dear Ones,
We can sometimes find ourselves in need of mercy, which is the situation I find myself in right now. My health has taken a downturn for reasons which are a mystery-- that I’m hoping my appointment with my doctor the day after tomorrow will unravel. In the meanwhile, my illness has given me extra time to spend with the Lord in prayer, asking Him for some answers too. God’s mercy is both a divine attribute and a model for human behavior. It can take the form of an attribute or a deed. Last week my subject was God’s grace. We can combine that with His mercy and forgiveness. PS 103: 8, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” God is patient and enduring in His mercy. This gives me faith and hope that my doctor’s answers will lead me to better health.
We are all sinners. God knows this truth, and due to His compassionate, merciful heart, He doesn’t want us to be on a one-way road to spiritual death. That’s the end point for unrepentant or unforgiven sinners without His intervention. All believers know that the sacrifice of His only begotten Son in the cross was God’s act of supreme mercy [JN 3: 16]. It is a great disappointment to our God when people are serially unrepentant and waste this amazing sacrifice. MICAH 7: 18, “Who is a God like You, Who pardons sins and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” Imagine! Our God takes pleasure in extending mercy.
It is for this reason that I’m not worrying needlessly about what will happen the day after tomorrow. The faith I have has given me hope; it is faith in which I have persevered and the examples that has been set for me by such people as Joseph, Samuel, David, Paul, and our Lord Jesus—faith that overcomes fear. There are people in my own circle of friends, who have demonstrated what we learn in RO 5: 3-4, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope.” One person, like me, has gone through the loss of her spouse after many years of marriage and raising a child. Another, after serving in the military and marrying a veteran found herself the main caregiver for her husband for 17 years while she waited for a bed to become available in a veteran’s home for him. Still another is a middle-aged friend battling severe MS after having lost her mother to the same disease. Each of these friends has exemplified perseverance, character, and hope. No matter how dire my own life has gotten, God has seen to it that I was surrounded by loving and faithful friends and has given me the love of His word that I have. His mercy has been profound!
This model of mercy is seen repeatedly in one message or another to extend the same to others. Mercy is central to Christian faith, offering hope, renewal, and assurance of God’s grace in every circumstance. I have had people in my life who have grown angry about things I’ve done or said. More than once, I’ve refused to respond in kind. Each has written me a note after a period of time apologizing for his reaction. Several years after the original disagreement returned to the church where I was and was asked to speak publicly about his past experience at the same church. He got up and related in complimentary tones the story of how much this disagreement taught him in the end. That kind of affirmation is God’s mercy in yet another form. LAM 3: 22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” This shows us how God’s mercy renews when practiced by people.
PRAYER: O Holy One, we see Your mercy in our daily lives. The examples above remind us how continual it is. You are training us to recognize and acknowledge Your mercy and to model it in our behavior. MT 5: 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” LK 6: 36, “Be merciful even as Your Father is merciful.” We are encouraged to show mercy toward others, rather than to allow our emotions to override our actions. I have seen people with “hair-trigger” tempers when something comes up that makes them angry. The behavior that follows can be disruptive, disrespectful, mean, and outright sinful. It is never constructive, and that is why You want us to act in kindness and mercy, being willing to forgive. Your paradigm and advice is always wise, always in our best interests. We thank and praise You for Who You are and what You show us, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to write, emphasizing forgiveness next week. We can’t be humble if our emotions override our actions. Humility is central to living as God desires. MICAH 6: 8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. Ans what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That was my dear Peter’s favorite verse, and for his 74 years on this earth, it is how he lived. While I miss my dear husband very much, God’s mercy is that one day I will be with him in heaven. And for what more can we ask than to spend eternity in God’s presence and that of those we love who went to heaven before us? Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All rights reserved.
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