ADAR 14
A Hand of Mercy
“How
blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy.” (Mat 5:7 CJB)
Some years ago, a young friend of ours felt an ‘urgent need’
to stop and pick up a hitchhiker, while on her delivery route in a town about
100 miles away from her home terminal.
After arguing with herself for several miles, she turned her truck
around, and went back to where the older black man was still standing by the
side of the highway. The two of them had
a conversation for several minutes, after which Louis was invited to ride along
for the remainder of her route.
It turned out that Louis was a mature believer in the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, spending his time traveling from coast to coast, ministering
as the Creator would direct him to. Most
of the people Louis reached were fellow ‘thumb-travelers’, bums (as some people
would class them), and the homeless, destitute people that make up a segment of
our society many of us tend to ignore.
Louis did attend our
congregation while sojourning in our town and was a blessing to all. Where he came from, what his background was,
and where he was heading was not known; what was obvious was the love for our Creator that Louis had, along with
a love and compassion for his fellow man.
Mercy flowed out of Louis; he
had a gentle, kind spirit, and a burden for ‘the forgotten people’ that was
evident.
One of the Hebrew words translated as ‘merciful’ is the word chânan (Strong’s H2603) and is a vivid
and colorful word. Besides meaning
‘merciful’, it means to show great favor, to be gracious, kind, and
gentle. Mercy is always action; we cannot look upon someone in need, in misery, lonely,
and in pain, and say that we love Yahweh, that we belong to Him, and then do
nothing to alleviate that person’s need (see
“For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me ... Yes! I tell you
that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these
brothers of mine, you did them for me!” (Mat 25:35, 36, 40 CJB)
“For the judgment is
without compassion to the one who has shown no compassion. And compassion
boasts over judgment.” (Jam 2:13)
Father, I am asking You to help me, help me to always remember the love You have shed abroad in my heart through the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit. Help me to remember that if it were not for You, my El Rachum, my Elohim of compassion, I too would be hitch-hiking across the highway of life, never knowing where my next ride would come from, or even where I would end up. Help me to show mercy, help me to remember that through Your mercies that are new to me every morning, I can extend that hand of mercy to others around me. In the Name and authority of my Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth, I pray.
©2021
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