"For the LORD is good. His mercy is forever."
Psalm 100:5
A teenage boy was sent to the principal's office for breaking school rules. After a brief conversation, the principal said to him, "I must expel you from school. What you did was wrong and you must learn your lesson." The boy looked into his eyes and said, "I can only ask you for mercy." The principal quickly responded, "You don't deserve mercy." The boy said to him, "I know that I don't deserve it. That's why I need your mercy." There was a long pause of silence. The principal looked away for a moment. Then he said to the young man, "Maybe I shouldn't do this, but I will give you mercy. I will be watching you closely to see if you have changed your ways." And so the young man did. He became a serious student and a good example for other students to follow. On the night of his graduation, he stood on the platform to receive his diploma, shaking hands with the principal, he quietly said, "Thanks for your mercy."
God shows His goodness to us through mercy. He is never hesitant to grant mercy. It is an attribute of God's essential nature. His mercy is effective when it makes a change in our lives. To ask for mercy and continue without a change in our hearts is to harden our hearts against God. To really experience His mercy is to fill our hearts with thanks for the goodness of God. Our personal relationship with God begins with His marvelous mercy. The goodness of His mercy leads us to a change in our lives. The Bible calls it repentance. "The goodness of God leads you to repentance" (Romans 2:4).
We all need God's mercy. However, it usually takes a crisis to make us realize our need for His mercy. It's during times of sickness and sorrow, shame and guilt, fear and anxiety, failure and hardship, that we are awakened to our need of God's mercy. The good news is this, "His mercy is forever." The mercy of God is only a prayer away. God's mercy is for you.
God, we need Your mercy. Be merciful to us, because You are merciful, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
