Father in heaven, hallowed is Your holy name. We patiently wait for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done on earth as in heaven. I thank You, Lord, for calling me to Your Ministry of Reconciliation. Lord, renew the spirit of everyone called by Your name, encouraging them to pursue Your holy Ways. Thank you, Lord, for blessing those who thirst to hear your Word and strive to reflect what they learn to others. Thank you for forgiving our transgressions and encouraging us to forgive those who transgress against us. Thank You for giving us the authority and power to confront evil and claim victory in Your name. Strengthen us so we gain the courage to rebuke false teachers and expose false doctrine. May the words of my mouth bear witness to my transformation as a new creation and my belief that You are all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-seeing. Lord, I ask You to guide me in speaking words pleasing to Your ears while I provide food for Your people. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
To receive mercy, you must show yourself merciful. “Generosity will be rewarded: Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return” (Prov. 11:25). If we genuinely believe God is merciful, we ought to say so to believers and unbelievers everywhere we go and have an opportunity. Let the experience of God’s mercy motivate us to be merciful to others and proclaim the mercy He has shown us. He was merciful when He supernaturally intervened in what was sure to be a fatal car crash, and we survived. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7, ESV).
Scripture tells us about the good Samaritan who showed mercy to a man robbed, beaten, and left half-dead by the side of the road (Luke 10:34). A priest and a Levite passed him by without offering help, not so for the good Samaritan who saw him and showed compassion. As members of God’s Kingdom, chosen by God, we are empowered and responsible to spread God's mercy as we walk through our daily lives. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (1 Tim. 3:16).
Scripture says we should not grow weary of doing good, not even when showing mercy to those who oppose God and the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. Paul reminds the Gentiles of their history and God’s mercy on them, cautioning them about being hard-hearted toward anyone because they were once in that position. He spoke boldly to them and said, “At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy” (Rom. 11:30, CEV). Paul reminds them of God's mercy toward them and motivates them to do the same to Israel. We are all saved the same way, not by righteousness and family lineage, but by the mercy of God. This again proves the age-old truth of God’s Word, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). God was concerned for the Jews and remains concerned for those in this age who have strayed from the truth, and that includes the atheists who say they do not believe in God. We must understand that “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind” (Num. 23:19, NLT). We can rely on Him to keep His promises and fulfill His purpose.
God’s original plan, as seen in Gen. 12:3, was to save everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike. In the Word of God, we find that God does not want anyone to perish. However, the Israelites closed their ears to the truth, and Paul tells the Gentiles: “Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy” (Rom. 11:31, NLT). God used the Jews to take His message of salvation through Jesus to the world. With Israel’s rejection of the message, the roles are reversed. Therefore, we must appreciate that God’s mercy is unending and will ultimately result in mercy for Israel and everyone who has yet to know the truth. Israel contributed to Gentile salvation, after which the Gentiles were and are used to bring salvation to the Israelites.
The Gospel Message was first preached to the Jews and proclaimed by the Jews to the Gentiles. Then, something went wrong; false prophets began to preach a message contrary to the Word of God, and many Jews started to reject the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. Thank God for His mercy and grace! We should humble ourselves and show God’s mercy to everyone because we understand that “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28-29, NIV). When we act contrary to God’s Word, we are disobedient.
Closing Prayer – God, in His mercy, gave us this ministry; we do not lose heart (2 Cor. 4:1). In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
