The Jonah Principle 1C

Jonah 1:1-2
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.”

We are continuing on in the Jonah Principle looking at the various words the Lord has for each of us as believers. The first was a word of grace, the second was a word of love, today's word is a word of mercy. Something that each of us need on a daily basis is the idea of mercy. The dictionary defines mercy as "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.." God has all power and when we are compared to his righteousness, we don't measure up and He has every right to allow us to go to eternal punishment, BUT he gives us mercy. Titus 3:5 tells us "he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit." Notice the pattern not of our works but His. 

You may be saying, "you don't know my past and things that I have done." I get that but may I tell you at 47 I have had more misses than hits in the spiritual realm. My last defeat was epic, the enemy had much to rejoice over, BUT I found mercy when I called out to Him. Hebrews tells us that we need to "approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need." I can tell you that is exactly what I received and if he will take me back, and touch my life, then my friend you find mercy when you ask. 
1 Peter 1:3 tells us "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" If you are looking for a reason to shout there it is. New birth, living hope, all paid for by mercy, and its yours today for the asking. The reason Jonah didn't really want to preach to Nineveh was he knew God's mercy and he really hated the people of that area. But God had a word of mercy for them, and even a word of mercy for a stubborn prophet, and even us today. 

I ask you to not only accept the mercy of God, but to extend mercy to those who you encounter that may need it today. You may not know what they are going through and a word of mercy may help them overcome whatever it is. 

Prayer: Lord, I accept the mercy you offer me today, I pray that you will help me extend mercy to those in need. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Grace and Peace be multiplied to you my friends. 
Eric