“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”–Luke 10:35–37
Ira Sankey, D. L. Moody’s great song leader, told the story of a British actress who was saved in a most unusual way. As she walked down the street one day, she heard a group singing in preparation for a Bible study. The song stuck in her mind and her heart, and she finally went and got a hymn book that had the song in it and sang it over and over until she had learned it by heart. In just a few days she had given her heart to Christ. She no longer had any desire for her former profession, but at the urging of the theater manager, she agreed to take the stage one more time. But rather than singing one of the popular songs of the day, she began singing the hymn that had been instrumental in drawing her to Jesus: “Depth of mercy can there be, Mercy still reserved for me?”
Every one of us who are saved have been the recipients of God’s mercy. In turn, He commands us to show mercy toward others—but often that is a very difficult command to keep. Even as we rejoice in our own escape from God’s wrath, we tend to want to see others get what is coming to them. But James warns us, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:13). The merciful heart rests on the foundation of undeserved forgiveness. We did not receive the mercy of God solely for ourselves, but so that we could share it with others.(Daily in the Word)
