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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Being an Agent of God's Mercy



We live in a violent world. If not war and acts of man made violence, the natural world rages against us in the form of disasters of all kinds.
I speak from first hand experience having lived through one of the worst disasters in recorded history with March 11th"s great earthquake and tsunami and the on going Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan.

The first thing, I want you readers to do is
STOP
think hard about the people in your life. We are all connected through relationships and these relationships are the vehicle for Gods mercy that allows for communication of God's love

Again
STOP
Now think about those people again, those who are suffering, or have perhaps caused you to suffer and ask God for a measure of mercy for them.
And now, be strong and courageous as God told Joshua, literally go do something for them.  Put it in your schedule for next week and if you really do something please post in the comments as an encouragement. I'm sure we would love to read how God's working and moving in your lives.

OK

Now you may want to think a little more now... Got an idea. If not hopefully the LORD will bring it to your mind.

Now moving on with the idea of God's agents of mercy.

We express God's mercy in the way of giving sacrificially to those who are perhaps undeserving.  Or by refraining to act vengefully by choosing to forgive the wrongs done to us. Matthew 6:15

I love the words God speaks through the prophet Micah. Our assignment as His people can be summed up here.
Micah 6:8
He has shown thee o man what the LORD requires
To do Justly
To love Mercy
To walk Humbly
with Thy God

When we sacrifice for the sake of others good we will see the power of mercy. when we forgive we will experience the power of mercy in our lives.

God in fact in the New Testament calls us to the ministry of reconciliation by which we are to be His witnesses, His agents of mercy and love in the world. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

However, I will give a disclaimer, love is not always "niceness" or even kindness but requires different courses of action for different circumstances. Sometimes love in the form of discipline can look pretty painful. So keep that in mind as well

On the other hand, as a people being remade through the Spirit of God to be like Him,
We are not commanded to lay siege to cities or make war for the sake of God, as the ancient israelites but to reveal Gods heart to the world, His heart laid out in the most famous bible verse of all time... For God so loved the world John 3:16 and then Jesus commissioned His followers not to be soldiers but to be witnesses. Matthew 28:16-20

So are you ready to be a doer of the word? In doing the word I assure you that you will be blessed. Do not merely hear it but make your faith true by putting it into action. James 1:22

Take heart for in all our troubles God has prepared a perfect place for us.  John 14:2
Indeed being merciful will cost you, it may cost you greatly but compared to your treasure in Christ there is no comparison.

Be blessed and May God strengthen you to be His agents in a dark world, in dark times.

2 comments:

  1. This is so on target with what the Spirit of God is saying right now!

    We need to be doers of the Word and not just hearers.

    I read in a post recently, "I can't eat your prayers". We need to DO and not just wag our lips!

    God bless!

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  2. Micah 6:8 does sum up what is required for living out a life in Christ in community.....This would make a relevant wisdom devotional for the young...

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