City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

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

Matthew 5:7 (NIV)

“‘…I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.’”

Jonah 4:2b (NLT)

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Colossians 3:13b (NIV)

Mercy: compassion or forbearance, shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power, compassionate treatment of those in distress

Merriam Webster Dictionary

Megan’s Musings

Kacee said God’s mercy is His compassionate forgiveness, especially towards those who appeal to His character, and it flows from His goodness and love. Repeatedly in scripture, God has saved, redeemed, and restored His children. In one case, the city of Nineveh was saved from destruction by (a very reluctant) Jonah. Even though the Ninevites were repentant (everybody fasted and wore sackcloth, even the animals), Jonah was disappointed the city was not destroyed! God showed mercy and forgave the Ninevites, but Jonah did not want to do the same. He didn’t run away from God (like we can really do that) to Tarshish because he was afraid of the Ninevites, he believed they were unworthy of God’s forgiveness and mercy (spoiler alert: no one is).

If you read Jonah Chapter 4, you can feel Jonah’s immense bitterness, even hatred. After a big tree that Jonah had taken shelter from the heat had withered away, and for the second time Jonah was angry enough to wish for his own death, God rebuked Jonah for being more upset about a sheltering plant which he never took care of than the thousands of Ninevites that God Himself created who didn’t know any better.

One of the hardest subjects of mercy is forgiveness. I used to be the type to hold a grudge (I’m not proud of that, to say the least), it took a very difficult time for me to learn forgiveness was the best, and only, way to live. Just like the unmerciful servant in the parable (Matthew 18:21-35), I was torturing and imprisoning myself with my bitterness. I didn’t understand what forgiveness was. Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending what happened didn’t hurt, or denying it even happened in the first place. Forgiveness is saying what happened hurt, acknowledging the negative emotions, resolving not to let what happened run or ruin your life, letting go of the grudge, and moving on. Forgiveness is freedom. If God can forgive me for putting His Son on a cross, then I should forgive others’ offenses towards me.

Application

Is there somebody whom you are withholding forgiveness from, even if that somebody is yourself? Remember the clause of mercy, the merciful will be shown mercy. If you are forgiving towards others, they will see God in you, and mercy multiplies. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me enough to show mercy to me. Teach me to forgive as You have forgiven me. In Your Name I pray, amen.