Blessed by Mercy ~ Guest post by Heather Hart

Heather Hart

I've invited my friend and fellow Christian author Heather Hart to write a meditation for us today. Heather is first and foremost a servant of Christ. She has the desire to share His love with other women and girls through writing, and is the co-author of the internationally best-selling series, "Teen Devotionals...for Girls!" You can learn more about Heather at www.PaulandHeatherHart.com.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

~ Matthew 5:7

Have you ever stopped to think about what mercy really means? Wikipedia says that mercy is “the religious term for extending kindness and forgiveness.” I think of mercy as showing compassion, holding back just anger and consequences, lightening or forgoing a requirement or punishment.

When we receive mercy we are spared.

The most beautiful example of mercy we will ever know is the mercy that God has shown to us through the sacrifice of His Son. We deserve to spend eternity in hell for our sins, but by His mercy He provided a way for us to spend it with Him instead. It was God’s mercy that allowed Him to pour out His grace, transfer His righteous and justifiable anger away from us, and spare us from the eternal consequences of our sin.

And now He wants us to show that same mercy to others.

I love the way this is written in the book of Jude:

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (1:20-23 NIV).

Being merciful is a combination of acting justly, loving compassion, and walking humbly (Micah 6:8). It can be an attitude or an action—and is usually a combination of the two. It can be as simple as doing the right thing (even when you don’t feel like it), or going out of your way to help or forgive someone.

Paul David Tripp and his co-author Timothy S. Lane wrote in their book, “Relationships—A Mess Worth Making,” that “Mercy does not compromise what is morally right and true.” And, “A commitment to mercy will reveal the treasures of your heart.” I love that last line, but it makes me wonder:

Do we treasure God’s will?

Do we treasure His opinions?

In Luke 6:36 Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” That’s what God wants from us. He has been merciful to us beyond reason, and He desires us to be merciful to the rest of His creation—not because we have to, but out of love for Him and thanksgiving for what He has done for us.

“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.”

~ Jude 1:2

Today's meditation is an edited excerpt from Heather's book Blessings from Above: A Deeper Look at the Beatitudes.

This book takes readers verse by verse through the blessings in Matthew 5, providing real life examples as well as verses for a deeper look into the beatitudes.

 

Reviewers are calling it fantastic, nourishing, and a blessing. I'm reading it and love Heather's gentle teaching style.

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