14/02/2024
Let me put this hear π₯Ήβ€οΈβπ₯ππ
βI am crowned with blessing
I will always sing Your praise
Hallelujah, Hallelujahβ
MERCY - OUR ONLY HOPE
We come alive in the mercy of the Father; rescued from our own weakness and failure; saved by His kindness; our sins forgiven; adopted into the eternal family of God. We've been brought into the Kingdom of mercy - where each believer stands equally free before His holiness, made new through the Cross. Nothing earned, nothing to take credit for in ourselves - yet each one of us, known and valued, deeply loved by the One who made us.
Yet sometimes when we look in the mirror, it doesnβt feel like weβre sons and daughters of God. Next to the material world, Godβs promises can seem like just a shadow of whatβs available here and now. All around us are temptations to fame, fortune and influence. Success and security feel so attainable - within our reach - if weβll just join with our culture and live for the moment. Thatβs the wrestle of following Jesus, facing the worries of life and learning to trust in the goodness of an invisible Father.
The society we live in cannot comprehend the unseen Kingdom of God. And when our lives pursue a reality that is greater than what this world can offer, people will notice. Some will feel threatened because we donβt value what theyβve devoted their lives to, others will be attracted to Godβs mercy on display. Thatβs always been the nature of the Kingdom.
When Paul wrote his second letter to the Christians in Thessalonica he was trying to encourage them, because they were living in a very hostile society. He wanted to remind them that the mercy theyβd received was of far greater value than anything this world can offer. They needed to realise that suffering is evidence of what really matters - proof that points to the ultimate worth of our faith. Our hope is in a mercy that this world cannot even see, much less understand, so of course weβll be persecuted when we live by faith. But we are crowned with blessing through Jesus, even in the middle of the hardest times - even when it doesnβt feel like it.
There will be a day when God sets everything right. Those who reject Jesus will still have to face God - but without any mercy to stand on. Thatβs a sobering thought. You and I have been entrusted with this Gospel of mercy - it's our responsibility to share it with our friends and neighbours. Our lives must point to a reality that is unseen, a Kingdom that is of absolute value. We are called to be βMercy on Displayβ, living mirrors of Godβs kindness and generosity. As we seek first His Kingdom our lives become banners that point to a Father whose love and kindness is reliable; a Father who listens to our requests and meets our needs; a Father who has given us every good thing through the Cross. We donβt deserve any of it - itβs all a gift of mercy.
When am I most tempted to seek after the things that this world offers?
How much does my life prove to others that Godβs mercy is real and life-changing?
Who are the people that I think God wants me to display His mercy to?