Seven Characteristics of Mercy

“The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy.” (James 3:17a NLT, second edition)

Mercy is like a diamond; it is multi-faceted. Lets look at seven facets of mercy, because I guarantee if you’ll learn how to be an agent of mercy, it will transform your relationships.

Mercy means being patient with people’s quirks. How do you get more patience for your kids, spouse, or friends? The Bible says in James 3:17, “The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy” (NLT, second edition). The wiser you become, the more patient and merciful you become.

Mercy means helping anyone around you who is hurting. You cannot love your neighbor as yourself without being merciful. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it” (TEV). But God is not simply watching what you do. He’s watching your attitude: “[When you] show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:8 NIV).

Mercy means giving people a second chance. When somebody hurts us, we normally want to get even or write that person off. But the Bible says, “Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ” (Ephesians 4:31-32 CEV).

Mercy means doing good to those who hurt you. Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve. Why should we do it? Because that’s what God does with you: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because [God] is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36 NIV).

Mercy means being kind to those who offend you. You’ve got to be more interested in winning people to Christ than in winning the argument. Jude 1:22-23 says, “Show mercy to those who have doubts. Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell. Show mercy to others, even though you are afraid that you might be stained by their sinful lives” (GW).

Mercy means building bridges of love to the unpopular. This is what I call premeditated mercy, because you intentionally build friendships with people who don’t have friends or who are not accepted at work or in society. When the Pharisees questioned why Jesus ate with tax collectors and other unpopular people, Jesus said, “‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:13b NLT, second edition).

Mercy means valuing relationships over rules. Romans 13:10 says, “Love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” If you want to show mercy, put people before policies. Put their needs before procedures. Put relationships before regulations. Choose love over law.

GIVING JESUS FIRST PLACE

Philippians 2:9-11 

When Christ has first place in our lives, we will experience many blessings. These include . . .

A quiet spirit. As we turn our attention to the Lord and meditate on His Word, He “leads [us] beside quiet waters,” where we find rest for our souls (Ps. 23:2). The Holy Spirit will help us shut out the noise of worldly distractions so He can provide assurance of our Father’s love and support. With a quieted heart and mind, we will be able to discern what God is saying to us.

A stronger faith. Studying Scripture will enlarge our view of God and give us insight and direction. Reading how the Lord has helped others, we will gain confidence that He is at our side, enabling us to meet life’s demands. Our faith will grow as we follow His direction and watch how He works on our behalf.

A purified heart. Like a mirror, the Bible reflects back to us who we truly are and reveals where we need to change. When we confess our sin, God promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

A prepared mind. We don’t know what’s in our tomorrows, but God does. He wants to prepare us for the future—both the joyous times and the hard ones. Through the Holy Spirit’s ministry, we will be equipped for whatever life brings (2 Pet. 1:3).

Paul’s life demonstrates what it means to give Jesus first place. Because the apostle made Christ the Lord of his life (Gal. 2:20), he knew joy amid trials and received the strength to face turmoil and difficulty. These blessings will also be ours when we give highest priority to our relationship with Jesus.

How to Pray Effectively

“Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them … I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’” (Nehemiah 1:8-9 NLT, second edition)

Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

Base your request on God’s character. Pray like you know God will answer you: “I’m expecting you to answer this prayer because of who you are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!"

Confess the sins of which you’re aware. After Nehemiah bases his prayer on who God is, he confesses his sins. He says, “I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us” (Nehemiah 1:6b-7 NLT, second edition). It wasn’t Nehemiah’s fault that Israel went into captivity. He wasn’t even born when it happened; he was most likely born in captivity. Yet he’s including himself in the national sins. He says, “I’ve been a part of the problem.”

Claim the promises of God. Nehemiah prays to the Lord, saying, “Please remember what you told your servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1:8a). Can you imagine saying “remember” to God? Nehemiah reminds God of a promise he made to the nation of Israel. In effect, he prays, “God, you warned through Moses that if we were unfaithful, we would lose the land of Israel. But you also promised that if we repent, you’d give it back to us.” Does God have to be reminded? No. Does he forget what he’s promised? No. Then why do we do this? Because it helps us remember what God has promised.

Be very specific in what you ask for. If you want specific answers to prayer, then make specific requests. If your prayers consist of general requests, how will you know if they’re answered?

God Accomplishes What Concerns You

Psalms 138:7-8
David was a man who walked through trouble on a regular basis. His psalms express the struggles and disappointments he faced, yet in the end, he always turned his focus back to God. The key to his victorious attitude was his strong faith in the Lord.

David was confident in God's purpose. That's why he could say, "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me" (v. 8). The only way we can walk through trouble and not be defeated is by keeping our focus on the Lord and His purpose. He has promised to do a good work in our lives, but sometimes the only way He can complete it is in valleys of hardship.

He relied on the Lord's power. When troubles arise, we, too, can trust God to deliver us, but it may not be by escape. Sometimes He sustains us through the difficulty, walking with us every step of the way.

David believed the promises of God. Throughout these two verses, he repeatedly reminds himself what the Lord will do. We also need to have some specific promises from Scripture that will anchor us in times of trouble. The truths of the Bible are our most valuable possession when the storms of life assail us. Self-reliance or advice from others will never equal the help God's Word offers us.

God assumes responsibility for accomplishing what concerns you in times of trouble. Your job is to believe that He will fulfill His purpose, His power is adequate, and He'll keep every promise. When the trial has achieved His goal, He'll remove it. Until then, keep walking with your eyes on Him.

Remember God always! ( Telugu )

Remember God always!

A Godly Heart

Psalms 37:1-8

 

The Lord promises to give us the desires of our hearts. But many people take this passage out of context, forgetting that their own mindset plays a vital part in bringing it to fruition. As my mother once said, "Where your mind goes, your feet go, so be careful what you think about."

 

What is your responsibility when it comes to claiming promises from God?

 

Delight yourselves in the Lord (Ps. 37:4). Christians should rejoice in God and desire to walk in obedience. The Lord must have first place in your life before you can claim the promise in this verse.

Commit your way to the Lord (v. 5). Allow God to change any aspect of your ambition that is not His will.
Remember that when He doesn't answer a prayer as you wished, it is for a reason.

 

 

Trust in Him (v. 5). God is merciful, all-knowing, kind, and generous. You can trust Him with your hopes and dreams.

Rest in Him (v. 7). Resting in the Lord means trusting Him to answer prayers in His timing or transform your aspirations so they conform to His will.

Wait upon the Lord patiently (v. 7). Jesus waited three decades before beginning His three-year ministry on earth. According to His example, waiting is one of the key principles of Christian living.
 

Do your desires align with God's purpose and plan for your life? He longs to give His followers abundant blessings and fullness of joy. So allow your dreams to be conformed to the Lord's will, and follow His guidance faithfully. Only when you surrender to Him will you experience God's best for your life.

5 Reasons Why God Will Never Abandon You

Bad news can turn our world upside down and push us into irrational conclusions, like “God has abandoned us,” or “He doesn’t care.” Human nature reaches for a reason, any reason—and for someone to blame. In our confusion, we often target God.

But that’s not the nature or character of God. If you are God’s child, here are five reasons why God will never abandon you:

1. God desires your fellowship.
We were created for fellowship. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9, NIV). Before sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were more than just caretakers of God’s creation. They were part of that creation and enjoyed sweet communion with God in the garden. God didn’t change in His desires; man did. He still wants our fellowship (Revelations 3:20). Furthermore, you were created for His glory: “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them” (Isaiah 43:7, NLT). He even takes delight in you! (Zephaniah 3:17).

2. God has promised never to leave you alone.
Many of you remember the old hymn, “Never Alone.” As a young mother trapped in a thunderous storm that literally shook her old car going home—her baby in the back seat of the old Chevy—my mom told me how she found comfort in the words of that song. Filled with fear, she remembered the conference she and my dad had just left where the hymn writer B.B. McKinney had led the entire assembly in that song. From the car windows, she saw the “lightning flashing,” and she “heard the thunder roll.” But the truth of God’s promise in that song—that He would never leave her alone, filled her with peace and assurance that day that God would not abandon her. That truth gave her comfort even as she approached death a few years ago.
And the Bible is filled with that same faithful promise to us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you(Joshua 1:5, NIV). For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5, NLT).

Upon His return to heaven, Jesus vowed the same thing to His grieving disciples, “No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you” (John 14:18, NLT). Not only would He return one day, but in the meantime He promised a special gift, His presence through the Holy Spirit, to His followers: That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft,” John 14:25-27 (MSG). His Spirit is always with us!

3. God’s track record is impeccable.
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19, NLT).
As a young believer, I spouted God’s promises freely, taking them at face value—until I hit a few ugly snags: A promised job fell through; a miscarriage, a marriage crisis—and some things too painful to mention. What happened to God’s faithful promise? Though I fought the urge, a "why" would try to slip into my thoughts. As a minister’s wife, I was careful to quickly stuff it back in its hiding place. Foolish decision.

Years of drawing closer to God and testing His promises have taught me the sheer gentleness and grace of God toward His children. I’ve never felt His “fussing” at my confusion. And each time I’ve decided to trust Him a little more, even though I didn’t understand His ways, my faith legs have grown stronger.

Now over five decades since I first gave my heart to God, I can trace activity in my life and see clearly that His track record of faithfulness is indisputable. I still fail and want to question, but He never seems to get tired of teaching me more about Himself. Part of that track record is indeed the fact that His promises have not failed in my own life—including His constant presence with me. So much so, that my life message has become, “God is faithful!”

4. God loves you and won’t forget about you.
He really, really loves you. He loved you before you were even born. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes (Ephesians 1:4, NLT). Why else would He pursue us in our worst shape, and accept us just as we are—loving us so much that He would send His Son to die for us? We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him,(Romans 5:8, MSG).

When others question God’s love, His care for them, or want proof of His love, I am at a loss to suggest anything more. All I can do is point to the cross where Jesus, His own Son, died willingly for the whole world (John 3:16). Would someone who loves like that, then turn around and abandon the very ones He died for? Even as His children when we mess up, He is ready to forgive and love us back to Him (1 John 1:9). He does not forget about His children (Isaiah 49:15, NIV).

As the song written by Pat Barrett and Tony Brown says, God is a “good, good Father.” When you become His child, you are His child forever. No one can “snatch” you out of His hand (John 10:29).

5. God is not finished with you yet.
At a small group conference my husband and I attended one year, the leader verbally recognized an angry attendee’s words by eventually “putting her back in the oven.” He didn’t try to “fix” her or her problems. Sometimes what we interpret as God’s “abandonment” may simply be God’s placing us “back in the oven,” where we may feel the heat of testing for a while. But God’s purposes, ways, and thoughts are not ours (Isaiah 55:8). He knows exactly what He’s doing, and while we may not understand, He clearly states one of His intentions in those unexplainable situations: These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return (1 Peter 1:7). And like a potter, He plans to keep shaping you to make you more like Him.

God’s character doesn’t change. And He’s not finished with any of us (Philippians 1:6). He wants to bring good out of everything that happens to us (Romans 8:28).

We live in a fallen world. We can read the newspaper, listen to the news, and even experience life trauma ourselves, and at times feel like God has gone AWOL. But world hunger, violence, and destruction were not included in God’s original design. One day He will restore everything to a new heaven and new earth, we will be whole, and all our unanswered questions will either be answered or unnecessary. But until then, one truth we can cling to without a doubt: His plans—and His character—don't include abandonment. God will never forsake those He loves!

Standing Strong and Tall through Prayer

Nehemiah was a man who lived on his knees. Whenever he needed guidance, strength, provision, or protection, his first response was prayer. Because of Nehemiah’s humble dependence, God was able to use him greatly to achieve His purposes.

This principle is still true for believers today. God can use us in the most awesome fashion if we'll seek Him and make ourselves available. He has a calling for each of us and doesn't want us wasting the opportunities He provides.

To follow Nehemiah's example of dependent prayer, we must first recognize God as the sovereign Ruler of the universe (Neh 1:5). Although He's our loving Father and loyal Friend, we must never forget that He is also our high and exalted Creator whose holiness is beyond our comprehension. Never think of the Lord as "the man upstairs" or come into His presence in a frivolous manner.

Because Nehemiah respected the awesome holiness of God, he approached Him with confession, admitting not only his sin, but his father's and Israel's as well (vv. 6-7). We cannot hide, deny, or cherish sin and expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers. Purity of heart and the power of God are linked. We need the sensitivity to instantly recognize when we've strayed, and the willingness to deal with sin immediately.

The reason Nehemiah stood so tall and strong was not due to his natural abilities, but because he developed a relationship of dependency on the Lord through prayer. The same can be true for you. Don't rush into your day without taking time to enter God's throne room to seek His guidance.