The Weekly Encourager – July 16, 2019 – The Value of Mercy

How valuable is mercy in your life? Today we have a guest author, my husband Davide Marney, who posted the following on Facebook:

Last night I was struggling in a dream over a memory of a bad thing that had happened to me many years ago. In the Bible, Satan is identified as the accuser – so much so that his very name means "The Accuser."

I think Satan wants us to hold on to our bad memories. He wants us to comfort ourselves with them like a child hugging his knees and feeling sorry for himself.

But God has given us hands big enough to only hold on to either His mercy or our self-centeredness. To hold on to past sins is to reject His forgiveness of the one who hurt you.

As Jesus said, treat others the way you wish they would treat you. If I had sinned against another and had repented of it and sought their forgiveness, I would want them to forgive me. I would want it with my whole heart.

Thank God we have a way out! Without mercy none of us would stand.

By Dave Marney

Shortly after reading this, a verse came up in my daily devotional reading. “Lord, if you keep in mind our sins, then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is!” - Psalm 130:3-4 TLB

Heavenly Father, whenever we feel shame over our own past sins or sorrow over the sins of others, remind us that “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” - Psalm 145:8 ESV Your mercy is beyond what we can imagine, even "in our wildest dreams."

May our hearts be rich in that most valuable of commodities, mercy.

God is faithful,
j