Blessed Are The Merciful ( Matthew 5:7 )

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:7

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It seems so long since I've written on here as far as it comes to a devotional and how I've missed it. For me how the joy I find in sharing the Word of God. For in it there is such richness, for truly there is hope. You know I remember back during the presidential campaign last year how so many thought vote for this man and there we have our hope, but what sadden my heart is so many placed their hope in someone who truly could not fulfill the greatest problem in their life, that being sin. Men and women search for truth yet they seek so many venues and outlets when there is but one source of truth and that is Jesus Christ, son of God. As it is written, " Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ( John 14:6 ) " This isn't poetry it is the very truth, the truth in which will set you free. Brothers and sisters may we this holiday season take any and every opportunity we have to share the gospel with those who don't know the Lord. May you be willing to share with them a gift that has a value of infinite worth when you share the gospel. Tonight my brethren please may this devotional bring you encouragement and joy as I continue back in the beatitudes. How fitting I find to still be in the beatitudes for truly it is blessed to be born again(John 3:3-8 ), to pass from death unto life( John 5:24 ) and truly be a new creation in Christ( 1 Corinthians 5:17 ). Now moving right along in to passage for tonight.

Continuing with the beatitudes Jesus says blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Truly something to really sink your teeth in and digest. Here the Lord is talking of how blessed we, believers are to be merciful. I ask you this, in today's society does this come off what top notch quality employers are looking for? Now some may say John well, I think they do, I mean after all they don't want unmerciful people working for them. Of course I beg to differ in the sense they may not say it,but it is sadly what they promote. Think about the corporate mentally and how it is to get to the top in most companies. Instead of showing mercy in most cases it is look out for number one and if there is time take care of someone else. Of course I don't really see that as mercy,but as a way to boast oneself standing and move up. The point is once again man will try to see any form of good they do as merciful. The problem is very often any mercy they shows and I mean "any" has an ulterior motive. Some may say at this point John you sound as if no one is good at all. No my point is to show a contrast between the natural man and a true believer. So you ask where is an example of someone showing mercy, true mercy without a motive well, let me draw you to Holy Writ to a familiar parable, The Good Samaritan( Luke 10:25-37 ). Truly we see mercy displayed as he cared for this man. He didn't seek to gain anything from it,but saw his neighbor in need and showed mercy.

So seeing as I gave in some measure two contrasting examples of mercy now let's define it just to be sure we understand it. By definition mercy is : That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being. ( http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,mercy) As you can see from this definition mercy not only is displayed so well in the parable of the Good Samaritan, but it is an attribute of God. For truly we serve a most merciful God. Think about the very attributes God revealed to Moses,"And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ( Exodus 34:6 )" So yes truly God is most certainly merciful and this is just Him revealing this characteristic audibly for He has shown His mercy since the beginning from not immediately killing mankind after the fall, sparing Noah and his family, to protecting the covenant when Abram err and there are other examples you can see in scripture before the account in Exodus. Truly we are blessed to serve a gracious and merciful God.

Think about what the Lord says in this beatitude, blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. The reason we as Christian know how to show such mercy is because of the mercy we have and continue to see from the Lord. First and foremost the mercy He has shown us in saving us from the wrath to come. That alone should bring forth praises from our lips knowing that we deserved justice and we received mercy through Christ Jesus our Lord. Truly it is most humbling and truly brings the true believer day by day an attitude of gratitude for being saved and receiving such mercy from a loving and merciful Heavenly Father. Not only this,but I think about what the prophet Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations, " This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (Lamentations 3:21-24 ) " Truly we believers see His mercy daily. Once again I encourage my brethren that is in the scriptures we find hope and not looking to princes or men for men fail. Instead seek the truth and find your rest in God.

You know when I was thinking of this verse tonight I remember talking with a youth group whom I see often still and am close to. I shared with this and I believe I've said this a few times, in how I know love and mercy, is that God has shown them to me. Truly my friends the mercy in which I am blessed to show to others both for the physical well-being and their eternal well-being comes first out the fact I have been shown mercy. Truly the love I seek to show and when I say seek to show, I seek to be more and more like Christ in when I love. For I know as a human I make errors,but I will not let this get me down or say I'm not perfect instead I'm encourage by the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3, I'm pressing on. This brother is pressing on to the mark of high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I'm not perfect and I know it, but instead I seek to honor God in all that I do. I do not live a life of trying to earn God's love for I do not need to nor have to,but instead seek to please Him out of loving obedience. Think about the words of our Lord and Savior," If ye love me, keep my commandments. ( John 14:15 ) " As you can see in showing mercy we truly do live this out. Think about the commandments and you will see what I mean. It really is amazing how the law becomes our delight as we have been freed from the curse of the law by Jesus so no longer do we see it a burden,but a joy to seek to please the Father. Brothers and sisters I pray this has been most edifying and encouraging. May you show mercy to others just as you have been shown mercy. Let me leave you with some passages of scripture to consider and please do really mediate on these in light of this beatitude. Truly see the blessing of how we have been shown such mercy and show mercy to others.



"With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;"
( Psalm 18:25 )

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
( Matthew 6:14-15 )


"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
( Colossians 3:12-13 )


"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
( Ephesians 4:31-32 )


Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><