“Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.” (Psalm 41:1-4)
Central to the nature of God is mercy. He is good and His mercies endure forever. His merciful heart looks with pity upon needy humanity.
To be merciful is to be kind and considerate. David rejoiced in knowing a merciful God, whose heart remained tender and whose hand stayed stretched out toward him, even when he was in trouble and at his lowest state. “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities” (Psalm 31:7).
Jesus reminded His disciples that God expected them to treat others with the same kindness they were receiving from Him. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7). If we are to expect God’s tender care and helping hand at the point of our need, we are likewise to have such a merciful heart towards others when they are hurting.
God ever looks past our faults to see our need. He knows that we need His hand in our life to be whole. He will strengthen us on our bed of brokenness and weakness. In turn, He expects us to have His kind heart and be His merciful hand extended to the sick and broken world around us. Be like your good God. Let your mercies be new every morning.