Hi how are you all today? I am back at work physically. I have been working at home for a few weeks. It is so good to see my team members and friends. Sometimes we don’t realise how much we need people, but we do. Did you miss people in the last year or so?
I read an Instagram story the other day on the fact that we need to operate in both mercy and truth together. For if we operate in truth only, our speech is harsh and unlikely to help someone. On the other hand, if we give mercy but no truth, there is no boundaries or rules that can make us feel safe. There is also a sense of I can do what I want or what feels good.
Truth leads to consequences whereas mercy leads to self -centredness. Both of them in and of themselves don’t help but applied together they are a powerhouse.
Psalm 89:14 states righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne and mercy and truth go before your face.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God and His dealings with us. God wants us walking right and doing right. That is the physical attributes He wants us to have. But what does God want coming out of our mouths and being in front of our eyes – mercy and truth. These should be the powerhouses of our speech, our sight and our hearing.
Jesus operated in both these whilst on the earth. This comes through loud and clear when a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. I have said before and will say again, where was the man? Jesus knew that the law demanded she be stoned. But Jesus was walking to not only fulfill the law but to bring life. So, what was He to do to bring this woman life?
Adultery was a sin in Gods eyes. A man or woman was taking what was not theirs and violating the person. So Jesus knelt down. Was He going to pick up a stone after all? Of course not. He started to write on the ground. Maybe He started to list the sins of the bystanders or maybe He was writing words of life.
Whatever it was, when His voice rang out with- he who is without sin, cast the first stone, a strange thing happened. All the accusers slunk away until nobody was left but Jesus and the woman.
You see truth demanded she be stoned, mercy demanded she be let off but together, something powerful happened. Jesus asked her where her accusers were and did they throw a stone? But nobody had and Jesus , the only one Who could set her free, said I don’t condemn you but go and sin no more.
Mercy was in setting her free but truth compelled her to sin no more – to stop her lifestyle of adultery. Were their consequences- maybe? She may have had to find a new job but the life she would have started to live from then on would have been so much better.
Jesus offers mercy and truth to us. We hear the truth of what Jesus did for us and mercy is us praying a prayer to be forgiven. The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God but Jesus in His mercy paid our price. Aren’t you glad He did? I definitely am.
So this week let’s begin to operate in mercy and truth. Be gracious to others and yourself. Speak the truth in love and compassion. Others around you will respond to you much better.
Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.
Bless you
Karen
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