Transformed: Relational Health -Day 2

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 (NIV) 

Thank God for his mercy! In our brokenness and sin we certainly need it. He has shown us mercy at the cross by taking upon himself the very punishment we deserved. The Holy Spirit continues to pour out his life-giving, life-sustaining mercy in our lives. Like a cascading fountain, “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning“ (Lamentations 3:22-33 ESV). 

God calls us to drink deeply of his overflowing mercy. He calls us to return to the fountain, day after day, that we might become intimately acquainted with his mercy. And those who personally know the mercy of God, we are the people of mercy ourselves. And those who have been blessed with the mercy of God we are to bless others with the same grace, patience, and care that we have received from him. We are not called to dole out judgment or give people what they deserve, but instead to be gracious and merciful.

 Do you want to be a person of mercy? If you drink deeply from God’s fountain of mercy, then the mercy of God will overflow in your life. If you are aware of how much you need God‘s mercy, your heart will be softened toward others in need of mercy. Jesus’ mercy toward sinners and social outcasts was a radical display of God‘s love in the culture of his day. It’s just as powerful—and unexpected—in our culture of self-centeredness and judgment today. As we extend mercy, grace, compassion, and forgiveness to the forgotten, the marginalized, and the rejected, we will point people to the mercy of Jesus. 

Next Steps. Write down your answers to these questions. 

116. What did you hear?

117. What do you think?

118. What will you do?

119. Now talk to God...

Work Cited

Warren, R. (2014). Daily devotions: Transformed: How God Changes Us. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: Saddleback Church.