God’s Mercy
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:6-7)
-Steve Brown
If one is hungry and thirsty, pining for the Word of God and seeking righteousness, they need only to open wide their mouths to be filled. God is expectantly waiting to satiate our hunger for Him and sets forth no limitations of quantity when we seek. He always gives to complete satisfaction–never sending us away with a few meager shekels when we remain diligent to dig for pure gold. It is God alone who fills and satisfies a soul. Scripture tells us:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)
God speaks the following promise to us as well through the pen of the prophet Jeremiah:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Paul also tells his beloved Timothy twice to pursue righteousness; conforming his life to the claims of a higher authority, conditioning his life to a standard which is not his but God’s. This should be a goal for us as well. We accomplish this by knowing and applying God’s Word to our lives. Head knowledge only puffs up making us spiritually prideful. Application of truths learned is essential for the Christian. God never intended for us to remain “as is.” We are not stagnate; we are either going backwards or forwards. We must not lull ourselves into a false comfort of thinking we are A-OK where we are in our walk with the Lord. That is the kiss of death spiritually speaking. It is so easy to fall into sin, but holiness and righteousness must be pursued. “Hunger” and “thirst” are appetites that occur frequently, calling for fresh satisfaction. The souls stirred by the Lord Jesus call for constant meals of righteousness as well:
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. (1 Timothy 6:11-12)
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)
Jesus also tells us that the merciful are blessed. Really, is there anything more winsome than seeing undeserved mercy fleshed out? God says His compassionate saints will be shown His active mercy. Mercy is the concrete expression of pity and compassion. It seeks to relieve affliction, alleviate suffering or distress, and ease misery. When we are merciful, God shows us His mercy. Paul tells us in Colossians to clothe ourselves with compassion. We are to demonstrate God’s mercy:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Take It to Heart
“We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity the ignorant, and instruct them; the carless, and warn them; those who are in a state of sin, and snatch them as brands out of the burning. Indeed, a good man is merciful to his beast.”
(Matthew Henry)