Shema
CF Ambassador
An Emoji devotional for Thu, 9th Sept, 2021
Topic: Sowing mercy and grace
By Pastor H. Wenger
Highlights:
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land— he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. (Psalm 41:1 – 2)
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31)
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12 – 13)
We are living in a world within which self-assertiveness is required. When you apply for a job, you are expected to show that they miss out on the best opportunity, if they do not hire you. It gives us a feeling of superiority when we know that we are better in a discipline than most others. Unfortunately it makes us often times haughty and we forget that we are only as good because our Maker has gifted us. As a boy I had many problems with orthography, but it did not bother me much, because I was still in the upper third. Looking down on those in the lower two thirds worse off, made me still feel quite strong. The feeling of superiority is dangerous because it makes us easily judgmental, unforgiving and merciless.
In the Lord’s prayer Jesus thought us to say: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The quality of my forgiveness, of my mercy and grace determines the quality of what I am going to receive. The story of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21ff) and the sermon of Jesus about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 underline the truth:
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:40 and 45) It is so easy and it happens so quickly to feel superiority and to look down on those we perceive as weak. Although I know that I have to look at my fellow human beings with a higher esteem than I have for myself, I have so often to repent because I catch myself belittling a fellow car driver, somebody who cannot follow an explanation I am giving, somebody who has difficulties with a task at hand, I deem trivial and easy and so on.
Brothers and Sisters the Lord is about to come back for the snapping away of his church. Let us therefore encourage one another to sanctify ourselves and to live out his character as good as ever possible. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrew 12:14) Peter tells us: In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1. Peter 5:5 – 6)
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me my tendency to so often feel superior. You have always truly been superior, but you humbled yourself and sowed grace and mercy. Help me to follow your footsteps. Always remind me that I do not possess anything that you have not given me. Help me to be fruitful for your kingdom and let me belong to the sheep that have served you in your weakest brothers and sisters. Amen
