Category: Mercy

Good to All, Harm to None

Help My people come to know Me as you know Me: Loving, caring providing and merciful – patient and generous, kind and good.

Meditation Thought: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

“Listen to My instructions and heed them with confidence and with the enthusiasm with which you carry out your fondest desires. My instructions, followed correctly, bring good to all and harm to none. But who can follow My instructions? Only those who hear them. You must be listening, learning and moving if you are to carry out My will for your life and for the world and the kingdom. I will guide you:
in love, and not reproach,
in light and not in darkness,
in joy and not in pain,
in truth and not in lies.

I sent My Son that all might see I am a God of Love and Mercy as well as Righteousness. It is in a relationship of “family” that I want My instructions followed – not in the relationship of harsh taskmaster dealing with a reluctant servant. My Son lived and died that this message could get through to My people, could be completely understood if they would listen.

Help My people come to know Me as you know Me: Loving, caring providing and merciful – patient and generous, kind and good – but always consistent in administering the laws of righteousness and truth.”

Healing the Body

Though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. We must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

Meditation Thought: “An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)

“Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh” (see Genesis 2:23), why do we not have perfect health? The grafts to not always “take” the first time – the moving of one part of the body to heal the injury of another part (i.e. the Body of Christ; see Romans 12) . We must, when sin diseases the Body, each do our particular job required to work together to repair the ravages of the sin.

At one time we are the patient and must patiently endure the operation;
At another time we are the doctor, actually moving and causing change in some area:
At another time we are the nurse, caring for the patient;
Again, we may be the friend who ministers with our support and love and encouragement;
Perhaps we are a relative, feeling the pain deeply, but unable to stop it from happening, for the pain is part of the cure.

And so the process goes on, age after age, and though we can learn from others who have gone before us, we must play our role alone. If we are to be competent in promoting healing, we must make the effort to learn what we need to know, to do what must be done, to endure what must be endured.

And the strength and courage to continue on lies in the faith that the healing is possible because there walked on earth One who was in perfect health, without the disease of sin, and He promised that if we believe in Him we shall do the works that He did (see John 14:12).

What He did in his physical manifestation on earth, He does today through the new Body which was transplanted as the old body was crucified on the cross. The new Body is not free from disease, but in the healing of the disease that invades it, the Father is glorified.

An Avalanche of Love, Mercy & Blessing

I do not raise My hand to strike, but to bless.

Meditation Thought: “…what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6)

We ask for what we think is possible – and God gives us the “impossible” gift that we desire from the depth of our souls. Praise His Holy Name!

Message perceived as from the Father:

“I have the joys and the riches of love, mercy and blessing ready to pour out in an avalanche to My people: My dear children who know Me and My dear children who do not yet know that they are Mine.

You – yes, you, as My obedient child, must release the plug that is holding back this avalanche. You must chip away at this plug of evil embraced, willfulness pursued, My commandments ignored – you are guilty of these acts, but you know how to expiate your guilt through confession and a plea for forgiveness. Practice this more diligently, and teach those who are ignorant.

The more surely you follow the path of your Savior, the more surely you learn all that He knows: the more completely you will be obedient to Me, and the more quickly My avalanche of love, mercy and blessing may be released. Tarry not, for the time is short to do My work, and My beloved children must be brought to the realization that they are Mine, and being Mine, they are free from sin, and the pain of sin.

I do not raise My hand to strike, but to bless, and they must come to know this truth to replace Satan’s lie. Thus all can come confidently within the reach of My hand, seeking love, unafraid of reproof. For all who confess on Jesus’ Name come to Me as pure, as obedient, and as pleasing to Me as My Son himself.”

Wow!

Love Is… and Is Not

Love is delight in giving, discipline, reaching out, accepting love from another, trusting God.

Meditation Thought: “Love is patient and kind… rejoices in right… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4,6,7 paraphrased)

Love is taking delight in giving, not receiving. Love is discipline to do as you know you aught to do – even when you don’t want to. Love is reaching out to offer help despite knowing that you may get your hand bitten instead of shaken. Love is acting according to God’s will, not self-will. The resulting clear conscience is a catalyst which makes it easier to express even more love, in more ways.

Love is accepting love from another – not ignoring it if it isn’t from someone you don’t really care about, not rejecting it because of a previous hurt, not questioning it if you are puzzled by it, and not being fearful of it because you have feelings of shame and guilt and these might have to be put out in the open.

Love is trusting God, who created us and who is Love, to overcome any problems (as we see the situation) that might result from our stepping out in faith to love.

Let Me Not Despair

No circumstance shall thwart God’s love, God’s grace, God’s will.

Meditation Thought: ““And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him from all his afflictions. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who put him in charge of Egypt and [of] his entire household.” (Acts 7:9-10)

“sold him… but God… rescued him, gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh… who made him governor… and over all his household.”

No circumstance shall thwart God’s love, God’s grace, God’s will.

No person shall rule over God.

If we know this, if we set our trust, and our obedience on the course of God’s will, we shall not only be at peace in all places, in all circumstances, at all times, but we shall see harm transformed to good, hate transformed to love, ignorance of God transformed to knowledge of God, and famine yield to plenty. For nothing is impossible with God. (See Luke 1:37)

My prayer: “Lord, take my spirit, my mind, my body, my emotions, and all resources, both material and unseen, and conform them to your will this day. Let me not despair if it appears that I have been ‘sold to Egypt’. If I trust You wherever I am, whatever I do, You will work good for me that I might work good for many to Your glory and my joy.” Amen.

Graceful Yielding

‘There’ in the palm of His hand, close to His heart

Meditation Thought: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

Nothing is too hard for the Lord – but He has created in love creatures who can facilitate His works, or obstruct them and slow down His perfect timing if He chooses to allow them to do so as a means of teaching. And this seems to be Standard Operating Procedure.

“Seek first the kingdom and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33) is not only a wonderful promise to us – but a graceful yielding on God’s side to let us choose to seek the kingdom.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord – sometimes we just think it is because what we desire to happen when we desire it to happen doesn’t occur. But God knows our hearts, and all of the facets of the situation – including where He wants us to be, and what He needs to do to get us there – ‘There’ in the palm of His hand, close to His heart – willingly staying close and enjoying it and desiring it above all else.

Whether we perceive it early or late, or not at all, that is His aim – He states it in His Word, He works it in His will, He empowers it through His Spirit, and He implants it in our heart.

Yield to a Better Way

I could not do this in my own sinful, rebellious, ego-centered nature no matter how long or how hard I tried. I must allow it to happen, but I cannot cause it to happen.

Meditation Thought: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)

In view of the mercies of God present myself as a living sacrifice. I do not have to present myself by my own effort. Instead, if I humble myself and yield myself to God, then He will do the preparation needed for me to be presented holy and acceptable. I could not do this in my own sinful, rebellious, ego-centered nature no matter how long or how hard I tried. I must allow it to happen, but I cannot cause it to happen.

It is my job to give the loaves and fishes; it is God’s job to feed the 5,000. (See Matthew 14:13-21)

Merciful Harmony

Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live.

Meditation Thought: “ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

“It depends upon God’s mercy” – therefore, we must depend upon God. We cannot do anything by ourselves, for this was not God’s original plan.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33) must be accepted and acted upon if we are to reap the benefits which all eventually come to seek: peace, joy, love.

But we are so stubborn! We get ‘involved’, we would rather ‘do our own thing’, we mistakenly believe that we are able to manage nicely by ourselves. Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live – for the way that is compatible with our Creator and His creation.

In our helplessness, we cry out for mercy – and it is the recognizing of our need for mercy that opens up a new previously unsuspected level of life. A level where an awakening of possibilities causes great excitement and anticipation in us, which at the same time allows us to be at peace in our hearts.

To have the Spirit flowing within is visible without, for our health depends not upon outside circumstances, but a fully integrated program which coordinates every factor of our being (spirit, personality, body, mind) into working harmoniously – all seeking to improve the particular area of itself, but affecting the other areas in a positive manner. Only the One who created us has the knowledge of how to accomplish this to the maximum degree. If we call upon Him to teach us, He is eager to do so.

A Twist on Stem Cells

This is the reason that thoughts are critical to life – or death; to peace – or agony; to fulfillment – or discontent; to health – or to sickness; to richness of lifestyle – or poverty of lifestyle.

Meditation Thought: “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

A thought is the tiny first cell of the growing expression which will take form in many mediums and influence many others. This original cell-thought has within it all the genetic features needed to multiply it into a huge far-reaching form.

This is the reason that thoughts are critical to life – or death; to peace – or agony; to fulfillment – or discontent; to health – or to sickness; to richness of lifestyle – or poverty of lifestyle.

God seeks to illuminate our understanding that we may recognize that thoughts seeking relationship with Him are the key to the fulfillment of our creation both spiritually and humanly.

To come to the realization that God- almighty, all powerful, all loving, all creating, all righteous, all beautiful, all orderly, all reconciling, all accepting, all encouraging, all giving of freedom to choose His offer of companionship, of fellowship, of fatherhood is our Father, is to be completely awed, completely, happy, completely obedient.

We do not expect to do as well as our Hero (Jesus) in expressing our life in our humanity, nevertheless, the determination to do our best to adopt the same thoughts, the same attitudes, the same type of language, the same type of actions, and the sure conviction that our Hero was and is real and is able, by our belief in His realty, to empower us to become more like Him.

Weight Lifted; Chains Loosed

He made the lifting of the burden and the breaking of the chains possible – not easy, not quick, but His example of the method is there for all who seek it.

Meditation Thought: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)

I feel the weight of sin, but my own power is insufficient to move it. I know that if only this weight could be removed, I could move places where I cannot go now. I am bound in guilt, in inadequacies, in the past. I cannot raise the energy to fulfil my dreams, but am frustrated by weight, by chains.

Only one man succeeded in avoiding the crushing weight and binding chains: by total obedience to the Father’s will; by willingly foregoing the pleasures anyway – He made the lifting of the burden and the breaking of the chains possible – not easy, not quick, but His example of the method is there for all who seek it.

My prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being willing to forgo the using of Your power for Yourself, that Your power might be used for my benefit. Enable me to, in my gratitude, in my desire to give you joy that your sacrifice was not in vain, but released me from much pain, to accomplish the very purpose for which You came. (See Matthew 18:18)

Enable me to become an expression of Your joy, and not an extension of Your pain. In Your Precious Name I pray. Amen.