“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:4 that “God is so rich in mercy.” God has an abundance of mercy and His mercies are new every morning. Mercy is the act of forgiving. Mercy is the compassion of God in action. God has forgiven us. Forgiven people forgive people. Those who have been given mercy, show mercy to others. To be unmerciful is to be unlike Jesus at the most basic level. While all that has been stated in this devotion is biblical truth, Jesus turns this blessing in another direction. Jesus states that we will be shown mercy if we show mercy. Not only is showing mercy Christlike, but it is reciprocal. In fact, Matthew 6:14 tells us that Jesus admonished, “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.” Mercy and grace are the essence of God’s love. When we love like Jesus, we cannot help but offer the same grace to others that He has shown to us. Holding a grudge, excluding others, unkind words, selfishness—these are but a few of the non- merciful acts that we commit everyday. Think about a world that acts out of grace and mercy in everyday interactions. We all want to live there!

Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:

What grudges do I hold?

What will happen if I let go of my grudges and show grace and mercy?

What hinders me from showing grace and mercy in my daily interactions?