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The Lord of Mercy
Andrea Lende • November 9, 2020
II Corinthians 1:3-4
The Lord of Mercy
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-of-Mercy-em8mof
II Corinthians 1:3-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),”
“Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
We serve a great God.
God, Almighty, the Creator of the universe and all that is in it.
Our God is also a merciful God.
Paul tells us He is the “Father of sympathy (pity and mercy)”.
Paul also says He is “the Source of every comfort (consolation and encouragement)”.
The trials we face may seem insurmountable at times.
We may even lose hope for a while.
The Lord may seem distant from us.
But He is always with us.
He is always caring for us.
As we go to Him for our needs, He is there.
He has already gone before us to secure the outcome.
And He is right beside us to provide the comfort we need at just the right time.
He may send someone to help care for us.
He may send a thousand angels to watch over us.
He is ever present in our trials and waving us on to victory.
I imagine parents lined up at a sporting event yelling and encouraging their child athlete.
The Lord is our Father and is rooting for us too.
There are times I imagine I am sitting in heaven at His feet as He comforts me and cares for my spirit.
I also imagine sitting in His lap as He holds me safely through the trial.
My prayer is that He is ever present for you during your most difficult times.
Paul tells the people in the church that the Lord comforts us so we will be able to comfort others.
I need to be reminded of this with each trial, so I don’t feel like I am being punished.
I start to understand that it’s more like an advancement in order to help others.
I believe we are called to serve one another.
And sometimes we are unable to serve unless we have gone through a trial.
Then we can share in another’s true pain and help them along the way.
We can also share in their victory.
Today I choose to allow the Lord to comfort me and look forward to being able to share His comfort with others.
May you find the Lord is close to you, ready to comfort and console you, and you will be able to offer the same to another.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that You are the God of mercy. You are the God of all comfort – the Source of comfort. Help me come to You in my time of need instead of going to someone that is unable to truly help me. Gently remind me that my trials are in service to another so I may help them. Help me comfort, console, and encourage those You put in my path just as You comfort, console, and encourage me. Thank You for softening my heart as You always do, Lord. Thank You for showing me so many people are hurting and need Your care. Help me carry them to You. May Your Holy Spirit fill my spirit so I can serve as You ask of me. Strengthen me in every way so I can do all that You have for me to do, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the God of mercy and dearly love you and all My people.
Response: Help me give You to others, Lord, so they may feel loved and comforted by You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.