December 27
Bible Reading: Joel 2:13b; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Hebrews 4:16; Luke 6:36
The man’s days were nearing their end, and he knew it. When I introduced myself, he immediately said, “I’ve spent my whole life sinning.” He went on to share troubling moments from his past that were clearly haunting him as he faced his mortality. Mercy, often overlooked until we need it, became the focus of our conversation. I shared with him the mercy of God, made evident through Jesus’ death for our sins and His resurrection. On a subsequent visit, he professed his faith in Christ.
A. W. Tozer defined God’s mercy as “an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.” God reveals His mercy in various ways. Through general mercy, He shows pity and provides for all creation (Psalm 145:9; Luke 6:36). Through special mercy, He intervenes on behalf of the redeemed (Hebrews 4:16).
God not only removes the guilt of His children, but also shows them compassion. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He invites us to approach His throne of grace to receive mercy in times of need (Hebrews 4:16).
In a world often cold and harsh, God is a compassionate friend who not only cares but can come to our aid. As the Good Samaritan cared for the beaten stranger, how much more will the Father of mercies heal our hidden wounds and bring us to safety?
It can sometimes seem in this world that no one cares, but God does. A. W. Tozer speaks to how God’s mercy is availed to those who seek Him: “We may plead for mercy for a lifetime in unbelief, and at the end of our days be still no more than sadly hopeful that we shall somewhere, somehow, receive it. This is to starve to death outside the banquet hall in which we have been warmly invited. Or we may, if we will, lay hold on the mercy of God by faith, enter the hall, and sit down with the bold and avid souls who will not allow diffidence and unbelief to keep them from the feast of things prepared for them.”
God’s mercy is “an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.” – A. W. Tozer
SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY
A pilgrim was I, and a wandering,
In the cold night of sin I did roam,
When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me,
And now I am on my way home.
Refrain:
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.
He restoreth my soul when I’m weary,
He giveth me strength day by day;
He leads me beside the still waters,
He guards me each step of the way. [Refrain]
When I walk through the
dark lonesome valley,
My savior will walk with me there;
And safely His great hand will lead me
To the mansions He’s gone to prepare. [Refrain]
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the
house of the Lord forever,
And I shall feast at the
table spread for me;
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.
All the days, all the days of my life.
LookingtoJesus 