September 12

”If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned the innocent.”

(Matthew 12:7 NIV)

The word mercy is used quite often in both the Old and New Testament. The word is used most often in conjunction with God’s mercy. Mercy is love sharing in the suffering with those in need and a willingness to save them from their plight. The Bible’s God is full of mercy. When people in the Bible are instructed to show mercy it’s most often mirroring God’s mercy – to demonstrate the same nature as God has.

Mercy deals with a personal engagement. One of the German words for mercy is ‘mildherzig’, - to have a soft heart. Someone has said. ‘When it comes to keeping yourself on track - use your head, but when it comes to steering others - use your heart.’

Prayer

Jesus help me to have a soft heart, that doesn’t judge those I come in contact with today even if they should behave in a way that I wouldn’t. And help me to wisely structure and prioritize those assignments that are mine today.