Extend Mercy

“Show my mercy, show my love show my compassion”

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:36

VERSE FOR TODAY: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” You may have a person in your life that is constantly slandering you, trying you, doing everything to destroy you and God is asking you to extend them mercy. For you, it may be a son or daughter. It may be a husband who has cheated on you, someone who has been verbally abusive to you, someone at work who just slanders your name over and over again. Extend mercy and watch God work on your behalf. Why? Because he has extended you mercy. You shall do for others as he has done for us.

Micah 6:8 says “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” When someone does something against us, it can cause so much anger. But God requires us to walk in mercy, be humble in God, and allow God to love through us, forgive through us, and move through us towards others. Why? Because that person’s soul is just as important as ours. God wants to save them and maybe that mercy you show them changes their life. God wants us to stand up and allow his holy spirit (because we ourselves in our flesh don’t have the ability) to extend mercy to those that don’t deserve it just as God extended mercy to us when we didn’t deserve it.

Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” There are going to be people who try your patience but you will hear God telling you over and over again “show my mercy, show my love show my compassion” because that is not only going to change them but change me to become more like Christ.

James 2:13 “because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” In our lives, God wants to show us mercy and not judge us the way we deserve to be judged. Christ came to bring mercy and grace. When we start walking in his plan and in his way it is amazing what he will do for you. It is amazing how he will start moving things out of your way and making your path straight and giving you favor and blessing you because you chose to extend mercy.

Prayer thoughts:

Things to Remember When It's Hard to Forgive:

Forgiveness doesn't justify them, it frees YOU!

Forgiving someone is making the decision to choose mercy and grace over bitterness and resentment.

To love God is to cooperate with His grace. Luke 6:36 says, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Since I'm so very aware of my own need for grace, I must be willing to freely give it away, too.

Each hole left from rejection must become an opportunity to create more and more space for grace in my heart. Forgiveness doesn't validate them, and it doesn't justify their hurtful actions. Giving grace saves me It sets me free.

What does giving grace look like in my life?

"..do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you"

(Luke 6:27-8).

-Lysa Terkeurst