Blessed are The Merciful

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. – Matthew 5:7

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”  Remember when that was the prayer of your heart and God’s response was His unfailing love and forgiveness, wrapped up in His mercy that is new every day.

Mercy is an unmerited, unearned favor from God that was made possible to us by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  Our sins separated us from God and when Jesus paid the penalty for everyone one of them, He made a way for true believers to be forgiven and experience a right relationship with God.  

Death was the penalty our sins deserved and was the price Christ paid because of His unending love for us.  We have been redeemed and set free by His sacrifice and have been given the command to show the same mercy to others, just as God was merciful to us.

Showing mercy means to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.  Showing mercy means forgiving others not just seventy times seven, but as many times as it takes, while remembering how many times God has forgiven us.  

Mercy is extending compassion and grace to those who don’t deserve it by not casting stones at them through gossip, judgment and ridicule as we remember that we too, are the undeserving.