Bulletin Articles
Blessed are the Merciful, For they shall Obtain Mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. - Matthew 5:7 NKJV
Dictionary.com defines mercy as "compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence:" But let's be honest with one another, many times is mercy is contrary to our human nature. I am definitely guilty of this! I can be a habitual grudge holder who wants to strike back twice as hard as what was throw at me! This is an epic failure!
Romans 12:19 reads, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord." This is the verse we can turn to in order to remind us that the Lord has his hands on everything. And we can ask ourselves, what is our wrath compared to that of the almighty father?
"For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:13 When we think of all of the mercy and compassion we have been shown through our lifetime of sins, how can we not show compassion to others? We should reflect on the concept of how mercy triumphs over judgment. Even when judgment feels like the natural reaction, mercy wins!
Let's close in the book of Ephesians. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," Ephesians 2:4 NKJV Our father in heaven has a tremendous love for all of us! I challenge you to try to show that same love to others as you go throughout your week. And react with mercy even when it conflicts with our human nature.
