Bible

[excel]

By Bonnie Ricks, Dogwood Ministries, Inc.

Friday, May 5

TO BE MERCIFUL -- Matthew 5:7 NIV

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

The quality of mercy is best described as "outgoing kindness” … kindness that is an action word… kindness that is an act… kindness that is filled with compassion.

Do you need a lot of compassion? I certainly do! I need a WHOLE LOT of compassion! There are days when I'm a walking disaster area. My brain seems to be on vacation. My mouth gets all tangled up when I try to talk. I drop things, run into things, get irritated, and burn dinner. Try though I might, the human side of me takes over when the spiritual side ought to be in full control. Like Paul said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:15-19 NIV)

Even the Apostle Paul, the man God chose to write nearly half of the New Testament, did battle with his nature and was in need of kindness and compassion from others. Each of us needs kindness. Each of us needs compassion. Each of us needs friends and loved ones who are merciful. Each of us needs to be merciful to those around us. Not one of us is without sin. Not one of us is above making mistakes. Not one of us can have any kind of relationship with others without mercy and compassion.

Like Jesus said, if we are merciful to those around us, we will be shown mercy. Not only by those around us, but by the most important one of all - Jesus Himself.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14 NIV

From Bonnie Ricks, Dogwood Ministries, Inc.
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Visit us at www.dogwoodministries.org