Confident of His Mercy

Have you ever noticed there are naysayers and black-pill dispensers everywhere who attempt to snuff out any smidgen of hope that things will get better? They can make us feel like God doesn’t care because the struggles of this earth, well … they just keep on struggling. 

Into that darkness, God speaks assurance, competence, and compassion.

Assurance:  Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Competence: Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Compassion: Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are– yet he did not sin.

What should be the result of this kind of assurance? That a very good and perfect God (who loves us enough to send Jesus to pay for our sin) tells us that nothing is hidden from His sight?  What should be the result of knowing that He has overcome even death and is at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us?  What should be the result of knowing He is not just competent, but also gracious and compassionate?

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Pay Careful Attention.  Fix Your Eyes on Jesus.  Don’t Harden Your Heart.  Don’t Give Up.  Finish Well.  Embrace the Promise of God’s rest by faith and obedience. Come to His throne of grace, confident that you will find mercy there.

Questions for today:

What are some ways you can display your confidence in Christ? 

Why might we require mercy? 

The same word for mercy is often translated compassion.  There is wide overlap, but does mercy differ from compassion?  Read through the following:

For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)

“Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to You, because You answer me. (Psalm 86:6-7)

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” (Titus 3:5)

“But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (2 Kings 13:23)

When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

Mercy or compassion: which is more of an action word? Which one would be more like something you would feel?  

Consider positions of power vs an equal footing.  When are mercy vs. compassion more fitting?