In the last devotional, we saw the blessedness of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Here is a person who knows that the deepest need that they have is to be right with God. I must be right with God. This person comes to God in repentance of sin and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and is saved. He is justified. But that beatitude does not just describe what we once were, but what we presently are. The believer continues to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Having been justified, the Lord continues His work in us. We desire the work of the Lord in our lives to continue. This work is sanctification, daily being made more and more like Jesus. He starts that work by planting mercy in our hearts toward others. Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mercy is that which reaches out to a person in their suffering and pain. It is not just resisting the temptation to be harsh and vindictive, but intervening to alleviate suffering. The reality of fallen humanity is that we are all in need of mercy. We face the troubles of our own sins. We face the troubles of people sinning around us. Sickness and injury and situations of grief and pain and emptiness. The problem is that very few of us are good at showing mercy. We are quick to speak up and tell people what they ought to do, but we are slow to act in practical ways to give true help. Let us remember that when we show mercy, we are mirroring the heart of God. Psalm 145:8 says that the Lord is great in mercy.
Interestingly, the text says that the merciful shall obtain mercy. When we step out on faith and obey the call of God to demonstrate mercy toward others, we ourselves will enjoy a fountain of mercy. This does not mean that we are saved because we show mercy to others. Showing mercy opens us up to the grace of fresh, daily mercies and grace upon us to live the Christian life to the full and enjoy the Lord. Lamentations 3:23 says that His mercies are new every morning. There is a fountain of mercies for every believer today.
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