MOST MERCIFULSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: God has a forgiving nature that is called MERCY. Great is the mercy of our Lord and it endures forever (Psalms 136:1). Verses telling you about the mercies of God are found in several places throughout the Bible (Psalms 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 1 Chronicles 16:34, 41, 2 Chronicles 5:13, Ezra 3:11, Jeremiah 33:11)
How shall we define God’s mercy?
The dictionary defines mercy as a favour done to an undeserving person.
I’ll illustrate this with a befitting example.
This incident happened in Chennai. A thief got up in the night and prayed. “Lord! I am going for work now. Please show me the best place from where I can steal. If I get a good booty, then Your share will also be good.” Praising God, he started roaming about.
Having seen a beautiful bungalow, he stepped in through the back door. He entered the main room broke open the cupboards, kept examining the things therein one by one, deciding what to take and what to leave behind.
To his utter dismay, all the lights in that room became alive. “Hey! Who switched on the lights?” There stood a man before him with a revolver in his hands. The thief trembled and fell at his feet. “Get up! Walk with me.” Came his hoarse voice. Then he showed him a chair. The thief sat down. The man told his wife, “Honey! Prepare some good tea for him.” Then he offered a cup of tea.
The thief drank while still shivering. Still holding the revolver, he enquired him. “What is your name? Where from do you come?” After hearing, he asked the following question. “Do you know to whom you are talking?” The thief replied ‘No’. Softy came the reply. “I am the Director General of Police.” Once again he raised his voice. “Promise me that you will lead a life by working for your livelihood in the right way. Otherwise, I will hand you over to the policemen.”
The thief fell at his feet. “Sir! I promise not to steal hereafter.” This favour of a great man on a thief who did not deserve pardon is called mercy.
There is a wonderful proverb which says, “To err is human to forgive is divine.” Everybody commits mistakes but the one who forgives has a divine nature.
Lord Jesus Christ described this as follows. A tax collector went to the temple. He knew that he was doing something wrong. Having no courage even to look up, he stood far away. Imagine God looking at him. God looks at you today. He put his head low and beating his breast cried out. “Oh Lord! Be merciful to me a sinner.” In a fraction of a second the Lord removed all his sins and made him a righteous man (Luke 18:13,14).
In the year 1748, a ship sailed away from United States. It carried a young man, hardly twenty four year old named John Newton who led a very immoral life. He was a cold-blooded man who caught people and sold them as slaves. A violent storm tossed the ship and the fear of death gripped everyone in it. The captain of the ship announced, “Danger! The ship is sinking and we may also sink.”
“Oh my God! I am just twenty four. Have I to die such a violent death?” This thought made him think of God. Fearing the impending danger ahead of him, he cried out. “Lord! Please save me. Be merciful to me. Have mercy.” When he uttered the word mercy something struck him. The divine power of God transformed him into a new creation. His violent nature disappeared. From then on, he could lead only a righteous life.
“To err is human to forgive is divine.” God has this forgiving nature and that is called MERCY.
Prayer:
Most Merciful Father,
I come begging to Your feet for Your mercy and forgiveness. Please save and transform my life. Help me also to show Your divine nature of forgiveness to my fellow being. Keep me under Your mighty protection and prosper all my efforts. Give me Your grace to be mighty both in words and deeds.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen. |