I watched some of the Little League World Series this year–I was rooting for Florida and they won the National Championship and played Taiwan for the World Series Championship. It was a tied game that went into extra innings and finally after a perfect bunt and an error, Florida broke the tie and won the game and the championship. Both teams had played their hearts out for ten days and many players on the Taiwan team were in tears. Some of the Florida players went on the field to console the other team and put their arms around them, and they truly understood their pain because it could have easily been them. When they could have been focused in that moment on their big win, they took time to show the other team compassion and mercy.
This was an act of mercy but scripture tells us God IS mercy. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. The Bible teaches that His essential nature and character is mercy. Mercy holds back from us what we deserve. When you come to the Lord, you are not coming to somebody sitting with a baseball bat ready to club you for every false move.
How is mercy different from compassion? Mercy and compassion are intertwined. Mercy is the fruit of compassion. Mercy is a gift given to someone suffering by someone acting out of compassion. God shows us mercy when we least deserve it. He knows us better than we know ourselves. No matter how much we mess up, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. That doesn’t mean we won’t have some scars from the wrong decisions we’ve made, but it does mean that “where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.”
Psalm 86:5 says For You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Reflect today on times in your life when God’s mercy and compassion were very evident. How can you show mercy to someone this week?
Deb Hill
Assistant to Pastor Ryan