2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Numbers 22:21-23:30 ESV, Luke 1:57-80 ESV, Psalm 58:1-11 ESV, Proverbs 11:12-13 ESV
Daily Verse: “And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.” (Luke 1:58 ESV)
ELEOS (1656): “Compassion (human or divine). The free gift for the forgiveness of sins and is related to the misery that sins brings. God’s tender sense of our misery displays itself in His efforts to lessen and entirely remove it-efforts that are hindered and defeated only by man’s continued perverseness. Grace removes guild, mercy removes misery. Is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.”[I]
Mercy removes misery.
Today’s heroine, Elizbeth, experienced misery because of her inability to have children. Society at the time deemed childbearing as a sign of God’s blessing in people’s life. Obviously, from a worldly perspective, Elizabeth’s sin kept her from conceiving, but not from God’s. Why Elizabeth didn’t have other children before John the Baptist, I don’t know. But I do know, God, removed her misery when she became pregnant.
Our misery differs from Elisabeth’s. Actions have consequences, not all good. When we follow our sinful desires, the results often lead to heartache. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol leads to hangovers. Overeating causes physical distress to the body. Spending more money than you make leads to financial pits. On and on the list goes of ways we can find ourselves in miserable situations, but God provides an answer, Jesus.
Receive the resources.
Mercy means you need someone to help you. Elizabeth couldn’t create life without God’s intervention. We can’t overcome our sins without Jesus’s help. Every day, as we submit to God, we receive a fresh start:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)
God wants to help you with your misery. Whatever the situation, ask God for mercy. Often, when I’m in the pit, I pray, “God, give me a break.” At those moments, I accept, I can’t handle things on my own; I need divine intervention to help me keep going. Over fifty years of seeking God for relief, He’s always come through.
God has the resources to give you mercy. Seek the Creator today, give Him your misery, receive His mercy.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 84) Thomas Nelson
