I am so thankful for mercy!

Blessed are the poor in spirit...

Blessed are those who mourn...

Blessed are the meek...

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

Can you finish those? Nancy started our study with this test. I was humbled.

This week are study was Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.

Again I learned how much I didn't know. When I think of mercy, I think of showing mercy by taking a meal to a family in need or handing a hymnal to a newcomer to church or calling a friend when I know they are having a hard time. I didn't, until the study, think that showing forgiveness was a facet of mercy.

John MacArthur said that Mercy is meeting people's needs. It is not simply feeling compassion but showing compassion; not only sympathizing but also giving a helping hand. Mercy is giving food to the hungry, comfort to the bereaved, love to the rejected, forgiveness to the offender, and companionship to the lonely. It is ...one of the loveliest and noblest of all virtues.

We live in a needy world and we can show the needy and hurting mercy.

The merciful are those who...

respond to human need

move among the suffering

give what they have to help those who have not.

Those who show mercy know the joy of...

giving

sharing

sacrificing .

We are able to extend mercy because we know the joy of receiving mercy ourselves from our Heavenly Father.

We need Jesus' eyes to see all the hurting around us.

Abraham showed mercy to Lot by going to rescuing him after Lot got to pick where he lived.

Joseph showed mercy to his brothers after they sold him into slavery.

David showed mercy to Saul by not murdering him.

The Good Samaritan showed mercy by taking care of the Jewish traveler.

mercy is not about me

we should show mercy everywhere

mercy to men doesn't mean mercy from men

mercy to men brings mercy from God

there are misunderstandings about mercy: people believe that if they show mercy then people will show them mercy- sometime this happens but many times not, also people believe that if you show deeds of mercy then God will show mercy to you- God is not dependent on you and your behavior for Him to show mercy to you.

Life is a process so we will be able to show mercy our whole lives. We are being sanctified through the Holy Spirit.

Corrie ten Boom said " Why should we hold on to the sins of others while our own sins have been cast into the depths of the sea? We have to pattern the scope of our own forgiveness upon God's. We have been forgiven much...we have to declare that same forgiveness to others."

In our small groups we studied Matthew 18:21-35. This is the story of the servant who asked for forgiveness for a GREAT debt and had it forgiven and then turned around and wouldn't forgive a very small debt.

I googled what the amounts that were forgiven. 10, 000 talents and 100 denarii

10,000 talents is 150,00 years wages- today that would be 2 billion, 2 hundred fifty million

100 denarii is one day of wages- lets say 64 dollars is you make 8 dollars an hour. Wow! I was so stuck by my sin against God is so large and what folks do to me is so small.

We had to answer questions like What was the master willing to lose? not only a huge debt but also his reputation- why wouldn't everyone now ask to have their debt forgiven?

How did the servant reveal his true attitude by his behavior? He felt he was owed forgiveness or either he didn't see the forgiveness

Four weeks ago when I first wrote about Bible Study, I closed my post by asking God to gently show me my sin. I am so thankful for His gentleness.

This week I was wronged. I mean it was in a situation where others noticed the offense and were as stunned as I was. I was so mad! How dare this person?!? and then I did my lesson. How can I hold a grudge? Who am I in the Bible story? I was so convicted. I must forgive and do over and over and over.