merciful | LiveForgiven

I’m in Guatemala this week for several reasons. We have a team here doing soccer camps and evangelism. We’ve come to see and encourage our own Erin Threadgill who is serving here (great to see Erin)! We’re also here to see how we can more effectively accomplish the mission of Jesus in this country. We have a wonderful partnership with Buckner International and they do amazing work, meeting the needs of “the least of these”. I was especially moved again by our trip to the city dump this afternoon. After visiting a couple of orphanages and potential church partners, we made our way to “ground zero”, in terms of poverty and need in the city. We met with an amazing team of leaders at Casa del Alfarero (The Potter’s House). This ministry exists to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the families and the children who live in the 16 communities around the dump. 6,000 children live in these communities. All of these families essentially survive by scavenging this massive city dump.

As we talked and heard the vision of “The Potter’s House”, and saw what they are doing, the words of one of the leaders (Hector) kept ringing in my head. “We call all of the people we serve ‘treasures’ because that’s who they are to God. We are all God’s treasures.” I was reminded of a more crude form of the same sentiment I heard years ago: “God don’t make no junk.” God desires all people to be His treasured possession. YOU are His valued treasure.

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 7:6

Our God is a God of mercy. In its simplest form, mercy is an act of love to someone who does not deserve it. At its root it means that there is some punishment or wage to be paid but it has been pardoned or paid for. If we are to be kingdom people, we must learn to be merciful toward others.

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

The problem is that we are too just. We like justice too much. We think, “I can’t offer mercy to them, they don’t deserve it” (They should get what they deserve). But James tells us (2:13) that mercy triumphs over judgment (in fact, the NIV adds an exclamation point)! Judgment, like justice is when we get what we deserve. Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve (judgment/punishment). And grace is when we get what we don’t deserve. So, mercy trumps judgment but grace trumps even mercy! Wow. Who are you prone to judge? To whom do you need to show mercy? Do it today.

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

Category Archives: merciful

God’s treasures

Mercy triumphs over judgment!