Many years ago I saw the movie "Tender Mercies".....it first came out in 1983 and starred Robert Duvall as a country music star who came upon hard times. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and Robert Duvall won best actor for his role in that film, which was rated PG. I am not here to give a review of the story line. Rather, I wanted to say that one of the characters in the film quoted from the Bible about God's tender mercies, and that impressed me and stayed with me as I had not been aware of that verse. I don't remember anything of the verse except the two words, "tender mercies." Later, as I began to read my Bible once again, I came across several verses mentioning God's tender mercies. That touched me and in turn drew me closer to the Lord, as it made me realize He had always been near and watching over me. In reflecting on that fact, I could recall events where He had literally saved me from one catastrophe after another. He saw me through many trials. I was so dense spiritually back then that I didn't comprehend His loving care and tender mercies at the time He ministered to me. Now I understand and I have such love for Him and gratitude in my heart for all that He has done in my life, my heart, my soul, and my mind.
The dictionary defines mercy as compassionate treatment, a disposition to be kind and forgiving. The word mercy among the Jews signified the pardon of injuries and almsgiving. To understand mercy, we need to go to the meaning of the Latin word "misericordia". It is made up of two words: miserans "pitying", and cor , the "heart"; or miseria cordis, "pain of heart". This virtue of mercy which we humans should also display is "an alive emotion of the heart which manifests itself by entering into the miseries of our neighbor" and to feel for him deeply and to empathize with him.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Jesus at Matthew 5:7
But back to God's tender mercies....
God showed extreme mercy to mankind by sending His Son to die to redeem sinful mankind...those who would turn to Jesus in repentance and faith in His shed blood to wash their sins away. What love! What mercy ! God is awesome !
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - Jesus at John 3:16
"The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." - Psalm 145:9
"Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies." - Psalm 103:4
"God in His infinite mercy has devised a way by which justice can be satisfied, and yet mercy can be triumphant. Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, took upon Himself the form of man, and offered unto Divine Justice that which was accepted as an equivalent for the punishment due to all His people." - Charles Spurgeon
Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the mercy of God. It is short...3 minutes long.
"Embrace in one act the two truths - thine own sin, and God's infinite mercy in Jesus Christ." - Alexander MacLaren.
"God's mercy with a sinner is only equaled and perhaps outmatched by His patience with the saints, with you and me." - Alan Redpath
What about you and me? We should follow what Luke 6:36 says, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." In other words, God's perfection should be our example and our goal. "We, who want so much mercy from God, must learn to show mercy to our fellow-men. It is impossible to look to Him for mercy when we fail to show mercy to others, or we fail to forgive others ! Not just show mercy in words, but by good deeds". Help the poor, the depressed, those under extreme trials. What a sincere and loving and pure motive it is when men make up their minds to endeavor to resemble the most high God in deeds of mercy and loving-kindness. Let us, like God, be "not weary in well-doing." God is love, and it takes love on our part to do acts of mercy. One commentary tells us, "True mercifulness is a characteristic of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and they alone would be merciful.in God's way, seeking not to please themselves, but to do God's will."
Christ was an example of mercifulness...He always kept God's glory and honor in view. "Christ's mercifulness recognized sin as the source of every man's misery, and our mercifulness is often so indifferent to the deepest needs of the men and women around us." We need to examine ourselves and ask ourselves if we are truly following Jesus' example.
"All that is really good is the outcome of the law of love, and its first result and inseparable companion is mercy." (A bible commentary quote.)
Following is a moving song by Gordon Mote titled "Mercy Walked In" :
"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." - Psalm 89:1
"With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright." - Psalm 18:25
"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23
