March 7

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God”? Micah 6:8 (AMP)

Mercy is born out of a desire to relieve suffering, to put an end to punishment or pain, and to stop the ongoing destruction and multiplication of the original sin or wound.   In other words, someone has hurt you, and they deserve to be punished, but mercy steps in with kindness and compassion and says, “I release you from this liability, even though the debt is yours to pay”.
 
God is a Master at mercy. He gives it freely, without restraint.  In fact, while we were yet sinners, even before we knew we needed help, He sent His only Begotten Son Jesus, to pay the price with His perfect and sinless life—His spotless life in exchange for our sinful ways.  Eliminating and eradicating a debt we could never pay.
 
Jesus Himself took the punishment we all rightly deserved, so that we would not have to. He said, “I have paid it for you in full. Embrace it divinely loved one. I have made you free”. This is the greatest kindness the world has ever known, an act of love, beyond our full comprehension. To be the beneficiaries of mercy, beyond what we deserve. The slate wiped clean, fresh and new.
 
Dear heart, if there are places of pain in your own life, that mercy has not yet met, invite Jesus in today.  Let His transforming power come and let everything else fade away. Remember, you are already free because the Son has made it so!  Don’t hang on to what He has already let go.
 
Then, if there is a place of debt, rightly owed to you, wisdom may be saying to release it now, and let the rivers of His mercy flow!
 
He loves it when we receive His mercy, this kindness and this love.  And He loves it when we follow His example and freely give it all away too! You may not be able to do that without His help, but even then, He has you covered, and He will lead you through.
 
Prayer:
 
Jesus, You alone know all the places where mercy is needed in my life.  I know, because of what You have promised, that I only need to confess my sin to You, and You apply the fullness of what You have already done, and wash the sin away.
 
I bring it all to You now, my Saviour and my Lord.  The sins I have committed—knowingly and unknowingly, and the sins committed against me too.
 
I want to be like You today, loving, merciful, forgiving, and free.  I want to be all that You created me to be.
Come now Lord Jesus as I lift Your Name on high.  Show me how to walk with You in the newness of life You have promised.  I entrust myself to You.
 
In Your Holy and Righteous Name I pray.