Do You Have Questions About The Mercy of God?
As I sit here thinking, what have I got to say about the mercy of God? I taught, that maybe you have questions concerning God’s mercy that you need answers for.
Therefore, I started to research the topic!
Consequently, this Bible study will answer all your questions on the mercy of God!
Where To Go For The Definition of Mercy?
If you have been reading my Bible Studies, you know me! I don’t like to use our dictionary to obtain the meaning of biblical words, phrases, or terms.
Instead, I go directly to the Bible to locate the diction that I need.
My main reason, words evolve. Most of the bibles these days are updated very frequently.
The publishers update them to reflect contemporary dictions for words and usage and lifestyle.
So, by using the KJV of the Bible I avoid doing that. And this method always supplies a more biblical and undisturbed meaning for our words.
As a result, let’s go to the Bible to find out what the Lord means by the mercy of God.
What Is Mercy?
“He shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.”
Jeremiah 21:7
Mercy means to spare, to have pity, to show compassion or goodness.
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? [H]e retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”
Micah 7:18
Mercy is undeserving goodness, forgiveness, and ignoring shortcomings.
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James 5:11
Compassion is an inevitable and ever-present companion of mercy. Wherever we find it compassion is present.
“Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother.”
Zechariah 7:9
Thus, mercy means to spare, forgive, pity, and show compassion to people in need.
Any time we do these things to others we are extending mercy to them.
What is God’s Mercy
Nevertheless, we experience God’s mercy daily. Every day He spares us from evil, harm, and danger.
Daily He forgives us!
So, every day we benefit from the mercy of God, for daily He spares, pities, and shows us compassion.
Additionally, daily we enjoy God’s Mercy. Every day He ignores our shortcomings and forgives us when we repent and confess our sins to Him.
He even forgives us even when we are undeserving of His goodness and forgiveness.
That is the mercy of God towards us!
How To Receive God’s Mercy Now & Later!
“The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.
2 Timothy 1:16
Today, we don’t need to ask God for mercy. To qualify for God’s mercy we just need to fear Him.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
Titus 3:5
“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”
Luke 1:50
The Lord promises that if we fear Him now, we will enjoy His mercy and even our posterity will receive it later because of us.
“And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Exodus 20:6
So, do you want to bless your family and relatives even after you are dead, then fear God now?
Jesus Breaks the Rules to Extend Mercy to Her!
Jesus was preaching and healing the Jews before he went to the Gentiles.
However, a Greek woman exercised faith in God through Jesus Christ and he broke the rule for her.
It wasn’t her time for the Word or for healing, but mercy transcends time!
Listen as this apostle explains,
“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
Matthew 15:22-27
“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
Matthew 15:28
Mercy is unpredictable because we could receive it even when we don’t deserve it.
When Could We Receive God’s Mercy?
“Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
1 Timothy 1:13
Also, during judgment, we receive mercy if we have been merciful!
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
James 2:13
However, always keep this at the front of your mind, who gets mercy and when is entirely up to God!
How Do We Obtain Mercy?
Jesus teaches us that to get mercy we must first give or show mercy!
He instructs the people,
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 5:7
So, when we show mercy to others, it comes right back to us!
We never desire to experience “judgment without mercy” for that is heartless.
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:13).
Instead, we always want to experience mercy with judgment for that shows compassion.
However, if we never show compassion to others, we will experience no mercy whenever we are judged and every day we are judged by others.
Maybe Today You Enjoyed God’s Mercy and Didn’t Know It!
There is no limit to the number of ways that the Good Lord God could show us mercy!
However, if we keep in mind that God, is a Spirit (John 4:24). Then, we will perceive that He extends His mercy to us but through others.
Joseph enjoyed the mercies of God when he needed it.
“But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Genesis 39:21
Note in the scripture verse immediately above two things. One, the Lord showed Joseph mercy, and two, how?
Having looked at how Joseph enjoys God’s mercy immediately my thoughts went to Nehemiah.
He also enjoys the mercy of the almighty God in a unique manner.
Listen, as he tells us how he experienced the tender mercy of God!
Listen, as Nehemiah makes supplication prayer to the Lord God requesting the tender mercies of God!
He writes,
“O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.”
Nehemiah 1:11
He prayed that the mercy of God be extended to him via King Artaxerxes and He granted it!
Are you a recipient of God’s mercy?
Have you had any experience, just one encounter, and you know that you were undeserving of what you got?
What Does It Mean That God Is Merciful?
For example, you may have attended an interview for a job. You knew that you didn’t satisfy all the criteria to fill the position but you got it anyway.
You received it because God extended mercy to you through the person who interviewed you!
We enjoy the mercy of God when we interact with others. He expects us to reciprocate.
Show mercy to others and you will receive the same from others too.
Are Our Actions Reflecting The Mercy of God?
Ruling out all those you know for a fact are attempting to obtain your compassion under false pretense, never judge anyone by appearance.
If someone approaches us and asks for assistance, then it’s our job to help in any manner we could.
We should never speculate about a person’s appearance and motives. If he asks for food give it to him if you could.
Or, if she asks for money to buy a coffee, oblige her.
Nevertheless, there are few well know mendicants who are drug addicts in an area where I used to work.
They ask only for money. If you offer to purchase food for them, they would refuse your assistance.
But these are the exceptions.
On the other hand, the Lord desires and expects to vicariously show Christians mercy through us.
But we must make ourselves available vessels to be used for His purposes.
Read Matthew 25:35-40.
Why Is Mercy Important?
“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 6:6
This is God’s expectation of us relative to others and to Him.
He expects us to be merciful to others. But towards Him, He desires us to possess a true knowledge of Him instead of killing animals and offering them for our atonement.
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Micah 6:8
However, Apostle Paul explains a very unique reason he needs the mercy of God.
“Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1 Timothy 1:16
God desires mercy of us!
Other Examples Of God’s Mercy In The Bible
How did God show mercy to Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mom?
He had compassion on her and allowed her to conceive and give birth while she was yet far past child-bearing age!
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”
Luke 1:5
“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6).
“And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.”
Luke 1:7
Conclusion
There is nothing we could do to earn God’s mercy. Being the beneficiary of compassion is totally up to God.
“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Romans 9:16
Mercy is an act of forgiveness, goodness, pity, and compassion to others even when they may not deserve it.
The mercy of God comes to us through others. During our interactions with them, we may experience uncommon favor because the mercy of God is being shown to us vicariously via them.
We receive mercy when we are merciful!
Nevertheless, the mercy of God is not an act of God but His very nature.
Mercy is who He is! God is merciful!
In closing, be deliberately merciful today. Extend compassion to someone in need.
This doesn’t have to be an earth-shaking act. It could be as simple as smiling at someone with a sad countenance!
But show someone mercy today!
