Truly Blessed, part 4 - Merciful

 

It was a busy day and I was keeping on schedule. The music in my car was loud, the road wide open, the day a sunny one.  All in the same moment I saw the police cruiser sitting just off the road, glanced at my speedometer, and realized that I was about to hear those words – “License and registration, please.”  

Sure enough, the patrol car pulled out behind me and after following me for about a mile, the lights came on and I pulled over. I did not need to ask why. I knew my speed was well over the limit for that stretch of country road.  He took my documents, returned to his car.  A few minutes later, he came back, handed me my documents, warned me to ‘slow down,’ and I drove away relieved.  Strictly speaking, I deserved to be fined, but I found mercy.

In His message about finding the life God desires for us, Jesus included this instruction -"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:7, NIV)

Mercy, what is it? Is it just being lenient? Is it compassion? Is it being kindly? When is it appropriate to be merciful and when should we give others what they deserve?  The answer is not simple or obvious. As a parent I waffled between mercy and ‘justice.’ Sometimes I just wanted to overlook the times when my children were disrespectful or disobedient; others I sent them to bed early! Too often what passed for ‘mercy,’ depended on my mood, not on any kind of fairness.

So, how should we understand Jesus’ words to us? When and how should we show mercy to others? He is our model!

David says - "The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth." (Psalm 103:8-11, NLT)  He does not say that God is incapable of bringing us to justice! He says that God’s first desire is to show us love, in the form of mercy and grace.Paul reminds Christian believers of their access to the heart of the Father.  "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5, NIV)

 IF we got what we had coming, IF God treated us with pure justice, we would perish. Who can claim to have loved Him perfectly, served Him well, or done what He desires without flaw? No one! "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NLT)  My merciful Father pulls me closer to His side when I wander. He convicts me, letting me feel the sting of conscience, but He does not call me worthless or turn me away.  

This is how we find the joyful life in our relationships with others, too. If we are harsh, condemning, demanding, and quick to judge, we will bring hurt and crush the hearts of others. If we are merciful, able to speak honestly to failure and sin but with the desire of restoration and renewal, we heal and give hope.  

I know that many will insist that showing mercy encourages irresponsibility.  In the Christian world there are many voices that will object to ‘cheap grace,’ saying that a merciful heart just lets others off the hook.  Jesus says otherwise. He shows us mercy and says that we will find it – from God and others – in the measure with which we give it!

Are you merciful? Is your first impulse to punish?
Or will you cultivate a heart like the heart of God, full of mercy and compassion?

Here’s a word from the Word. Learn it, love it, live it.

I use a contemporary paraphrase today to help hear, in a new way, the familiar instruction of the Lord.
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor." (Matthew 7:1-5, The Message)

The merciful are truly blessed!

_________________

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

O God my Father

There is no shadow

Of turning with Thee

Thou changest not

Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been

Thou forever wilt be

 

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning

New mercies I see

All I have needed

Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness

Lord unto me

 

Summer and winter

And springtime and harvest

Sun moon and stars

In their courses above

Join with all nature

In manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness

Mercy and love

 

Pardon for sin

And a peace that endureth

Thy own dear presence

To cheer and to guide

Strength for today

And bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine

With ten thousand beside

 

Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan

© Words: Public Domain

Truly Blessed - Part 3, Hungry?

 

Do you ever get a craving for ‘that’ kind of food? A plate of lasagna, a grilled burger, an ice cream sundae? A few days ago I just wanted a hotdog, not any hotdog, but one from that place on Route 46 just outside of Belvidere, NJ called “Hotdog Johnny’s.” I don’t what they do to a hotdog, but every now and then, I just what a couple, served with mustard and pickle.

Let’s talk about soul hunger. It is as real as your body’s hunger. We hunger to know peace, security, meaning, and purpose. People chase after all manner of things to satisfy that inner hunger;  achievement, recognition, admiration, sex, fun, religious devotion … to name a few.  Nothing and no one will satisfy our soul hunger like Jesus Christ! The Word says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV)  Peterson’s contemporary paraphrase of the Bible puts it this way - “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat." (Matthew 5:6, The Message)

We know that we were made for more than working that job, building a home, falling in love, having kids. Do you realize that? Have you done ‘life’ and still find yourself restless, feeling unfulfilled? Only God, through Jesus Christ, can satisfy that craving. When we receive Christ, by faith, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, making us alive to God, responsive to His will, able to more fully appreciate the world in which we live for what it is. Spirit-filled believers should love better, hear the music of life with greater appreciation, and live in joyful hope.

The life describes is found in Jesus and sustained as we ‘feed’ on His Presence. "Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35, NIV)  Jesus met a woman who had chased her cravings and made a mess of life. She was at a well in Samaria, midday, drawing water when she met Him. He saw her need, engaged her in conversation (a scandalous choice in that time), and told her this - "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14, NIV) 

As we learn to commune with Him, the refreshing, satisfying ‘water of life’ becomes like an artesian well inside of us. We don’t have to run here or there, chasing some new experience, to find satisfaction. We know peace with God and He satisfies our soul thirst.

Are you spiritually hungry today?  You don’t have to go somewhere, find somebody, or do some great thing. He is here now!  "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20, NIV)  We can come into His Presence, meditate in His truth, experience His love – anywhere, anytime.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can only find dinner spiritually in church or at a Bible study. We can; indeed, we must, learn to sit down with Him each day – to pray, to wait, to know, to be satisfied.

Only Jesus makes us truly ‘righteous,’ which means being right with God, something we want to be. When we are reconciled to Him, forgiven, and restored – we know life to the full.  When we share the things that weigh us down with Him in prayer, it eases the burden, and changes us so we can meet the challenges. When we offer up worshipful adoration, it renews our hope and helps us to remember why we exist. When we meditate on the Scripture, we are made wise and filled up with soul food that keeps us strong for the journey.

This life, full of responsibilities and temptation, will keep us from His Table.  Jesus warns of allowing "your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life. " (Luke 21:34, KJV) In other words, "Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping." (The Message) Instead

Soul hunger is universal! Just as our bodies require constant nourishment and develop an appetite daily, our spirits hunger, too. In the same way that we can temporarily satisfy our hunger with empty calories, and some do to such an extent that they lose their taste for meat and vegetables, we can fill up our spirits with endless pursuit of pleasure, games, and even more sensual satisfaction until our spiritual appetite for the true Food of Heaven is gone.

Here is the word from the Word. As you read it, may you turn to the only One who can really satisfy your soul.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; hear me,
that your soul may live."
(Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV)

_________________

Satisfied

 

All my life long I had panted

For a drink from some cool spring

That I hoped would quench the burning

Of the thirst I felt within

 

Hallelujah He has found me

The One my soul so long has craved

Jesus satisfies all my longings

Through His blood I now am saved

 

Feeding on the husks around me

Till my strength was almost gone

Longed my soul for something better

Only still to hunger on

 

Well of water ever springing

Bread of Life so rich and free

Untold wealth that never faileth

My Redeemer is to me

 

Through His blood I now am saved

Through His blood I now am saved

 

Clara Tear Williams – Public Domain

Truly Blessed, Part 2

 

I ordered a salad for lunch and when I picked it up, it was a small bowl, a few pieces of chicken, on a bed of not so fresh spinach leaves. “$8 for this?” I growled. Almost the moment I said it, I felt some regret. My words, while not unkind, were sharp. An inquiry about the value and quality of the salad was just fine, but not my tone or attitude. I failed, in that moment, to live as a man surrendered to Christ, in the spirit of meekness.

In His words about finding a life in God’s blessings, a life that enjoys the richest of Spirit-filled abundance, Jesus says this: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5, NIV)  Ah, that is challenge for us, isn’t it?  As we think of the word, ‘meek’ almost at the same time, we think weak.  The meek do not inherit the earth, they get run over, used, and discarded – or do they?  

Jesus’ words about meekness have nothing to do with weakness or servility, as we might believe. Jesus invites us to know Him, to be secure in His love, so that we can lower our defenses, open our hearts, and become gentle, tender, and vulnerable. The meek are willing to empathize and identify with the least, to weep with those who are ground down by the powers of this world. 

The model of meekness is Jesus. He did not have to subject Himself to suffering at the hands of cruel people, but He did!  He chose to leave Heaven’s love and perfection for us. He surrendered himself to the Cross, taking our sins on Himself, so that we could be restored to our Creator Father.  Of Jesus the Word says, “he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him!” (Philip 2:8) 

He was called the “Lamb of God” a primary reference to the sacrificial lamb of Exodus that gave protection to the faithful from death in the Passover.  Life came at the cost of death! “Lamb of God” also describes His meek nature.   A lamb is virtually defenseless.  It cannot run fast. It has no armor. It does not live in a shell. The only safety for a lamb is with the flock and the care of a shepherd. 

The Word teaches us that "our attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form." (Philippians 2:5-7, NLT)  "Become one with him. … no longer count on (your) own goodness or ability to obey God’s law, but trust Christ to save …  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. (then you will) really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.  …. learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow,  (you) can experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:9-11, NLT) Those of us who live ‘in Christ’ must, like Him, drop our defenses, love those who hate us, submit ourselves to others, as we trust in our Shepherd alone.  And, God empowers us, but not with worldly strength. 

Meekness is a work of the Spirit, a choice He enables us to make.  Jesus was “God, in flesh.” He could have crushed His enemies, but He chose to be ‘sheep-ish.’  Will I, will you?  "God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them." (Matthew 5:5, NLT)  Will you give as good as you get, demand ‘respect’ you feel you deserve; or will you choose meekness, and in that choice become a person from whom love is spilled?  

Yes, I repent for growling about a salad, and all those times when I fail to have a life and heart fully submitted to the Lamb of God. I want to be gentle enough to be approachable, tender enough to care about those the world throws away, strong in the strength of the Lord, who is my security. In this, I will find life richer. Will you join me in seeking meekness? 

Here’s a word from the Word. It is both beautiful and challenging. May the Spirit call us to greater meekness. "Who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power? My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!" (Isaiah 53:1-4, NLT)  

"He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7, NLT)  "When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins." (Isaiah 53:11, NLT)

_____________

Gentle Shepherd
(let this song, a prayer, touch you this day)

Gentle Shepherd come and lead us

For we need You to help us find our way

Gentle Shepherd come and feed us

For we need Your strength from day to day

There's no other we can turn to

Who can help us face another day

Gentle Shepherd come and lead us

For we need You to help us find our way

 

Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither

© 1974 William J. Gaither, Inc.