Father of Mercies
2
Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God
of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able
to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.
One of the most dynamic
actions humans can show is that of mercy. This is very different than love.
Love is more of a relationship than an action. There certainly are “acts of
love” that can be expressed, but mercy requires a deliberate decision. A
situation is presented where you have the right, based on law, tradition, etc.,
to act in a certain way. However, in that moment you choose to put aside the
punishment that is due and instead show mercy. You offer forgiveness instead of
justice.
This is not in the basic
nature of mankind. Mercy comes from the Father
of Mercies. Mercy is not just something God gives on occasion; it is part
of His very nature.
Some read passages of
scripture, such as the “negotiating with Abraham over Sodom” (Genesis 18) or
the “dealings of Moses with Pharaoh” (Exodus 7-11) and come away with the idea
that “God changed His mind.” I do not believe this is the correct
interpretation. I believe it was God showing mercy.
Do you remember the
story of Jonah? If not, take time to read the short Book of Jonah in the Old
Testament. After fleeing from the call of God, being thrown overboard from the
ship, swallowed by a “great fish,” and finally going to Nineveh, Jonah made
known his true reason for fleeing in the first place.
Jonah
4:1-2 (ESV)
But
it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD
and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That
is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God
and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from
disaster.
“I knew that you are a
gracious God and merciful…” This apparent “change of mind” God had was actually
Him acting consistent with His nature. He is the Father of Mercies!
King David understood
this well. “Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Let us fall into
the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand
of man.’” (2 Samuel 24:14 ESV) He knew that man would exact justice; God would
show mercy.
Jeremiah had firsthand
knowledge of the Father of Mercies:
Lamentations
3:22-23 (ESV)
The
steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they
are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
As New Covenant
Believers our ability to worship is found in the mercies of God.
Romans
12:1 (ESV)
I
appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship.
The only way we can give
ourselves completely to God in worship, as a living sacrifice, is to know that
He can be trusted. He is the Father of
Mercies! Get acquainted with this characteristic of our Father. He is good!
His mercies never come to an end.
I know there are many
who never received mercy from their earthly father. Because of this, it is
difficult to relate to our Heavenly Father. All I can say is this: “Find a
way!” Until we allow the Father of
Mercies to manifest His work in us we will never fully express the nature
of our God to our world. Here is Paul’s plea.
Colossians
3:12-13 (ESV)
Put
on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts (mercies),
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if
one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has
forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
The ability to show
mercy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. We cannot, of ourselves, show mercy.
We must allow the Father of Mercies
to lead us as we choose mercy over justice, grace over law, and love over hate.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can now make these choices, and in so
doing, show the Father to our world.
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