APPOINTED DAY OF MERCY
Memorise; And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so
much as his eyes
unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13
Read: Genesis 19:15-17, 15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot , saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters,
which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,
and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lordbeing
merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth
abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay
thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 8:19-10:16, Proverbs
4:10-19
Since the fall of man at the
Garden of Eden, the only factor that has sustained man in this world is God’s
mercy. When a man receives God’s mercy, it would appear as if he is a genius or
his righteousness has bestowed upon him some divine benevolence. This is not
true. The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22
“It is of
the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”
In our memory verse for today, we read of the
mercy which brought justification to the repentant publican. Because he begged
for it, his day of mercy came unhindered. Jesus said in Luke 18:14
“I tell
you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every
one that exalteth himself shall be abase, and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted.”
One striking revelation in
Christ’s assertion is that we can only obtain mercy when we acknowledge our
sins and repent of them as the publican did. According to Luke 18:14, what
prevents some people from receiving mercy from God is failure to admit that
they are sinners and that they need to turn from their wicked ways. It is
amazing that some children of God are in the habit of living in the world of
relativism where what is right or wrong depends on the justification they have
for it. This is not the gospel. When they are caught stealing, they would
rationalise it by putting the guilt on the fact that they are jobless. Some
ladies claim that they took to prostitution because they were jobless and
needed to take care of their aged parents!
“Again,
when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and
do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again
that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity;
he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Ezekiel
33:14-15
It takes humility to acknowledge
it if we do something wrong against God or against our neighbour. The Bible
says in Proverbs 28:13:
“He that
covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them
shall have mercy.”
Your appointed day of mercy comes
when you humbly ask for it from the One who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). I
appeal to someone using this devotional; if you have not repented of your sins
through Jesus Christ, being forth the day of God’s mercy into your life by
calling on the God of mercy today for forgiveness. Or, if you are a child of
God, but seem to be void of His mercy, call on Him like a child will cry to his
loving father for mercy. Today is the day of the Lord’s mercy for you and your
loved ones in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me and give me
testimonies.
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