Mercy

Teresa Poucher

When I was young, many moons ago, we played a game called “Mercy.”  The game is played by two people who grasp each other’s hands with interlocked fingers. The object is to twist the opponent’s hands or fingers until the opponent gives in and cries, “Mercy.”

 

  I like studying the Ark of the Covenant.  In the wooden box covered with gold, we find the Ten Commandments. It was covered with a lid called the “mercy seat” and made of pure solid gold.  Once a year, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on it.

 

Unfortunately, this just covered their sins until the following year. However, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed his blood on Calvary, it washed away our sins permanently:

 

“… and washed us from our sins in his own blood …” (Revelation 1:5)

 

  The commandments let me know I was a sinner.  I needed God’s mercy.  I’ve heard mercy described as “not giving me what I deserve.”  

 

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin.” (Romans 7:7)

 

  We all need His mercy, but here’s the real kicker: We need to be merciful.  I want to go beyond forgiveness so I can be forgiven. I have no desire for my adversaries to pay for the wrong they inflicted upon me or on any of my loved ones.

 

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

 

He kept His mercy near before I asked for it; shouldn’t I do the same? Today, I no longer play mercy, but I will cry out, “Mercy!”