I heard that a way to describe the word “mercy” is undeserved forgiveness.
Mercy is “a form of love shown to the needy or unworthy.”
God loves to show us mercy! The Word says that He “delights in showing mercy.”
Our Father is rich in mercy and offers more than enough for everyone. His mercies are new every morning, and there is nothing you can do to separate yourself from God’s love.
But what about us? Do we delight in showing mercy? Are our mercies new every morning?
God doesn’t just desire to show us mercy but expects that we show mercy to others, even when they don’t deserve it.
Extending forgiveness and mercy gets easier when we reflect on the mercy God has shown us.
Let’s let go of the grudges, hurts, offenses, and pain that keep us from releasing God-like love. Forgiveness and mercy will offer YOU freedom.
Today is filled with new mercies from the Father. Extend that same love to someone in your life.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 (NIV)
When reading the book of Job, the word “integrity” stood out to me.
Job faced a very challenging time in his life. He lost children, possessions, and many other things. But one thing Job never lost was his INTEGRITY – THIS AMAZED ME!
His integrity kept him from wavering in hard times.
It is easy to let your standards down when faced with complex circumstances, take shortcuts, and find easier routes.
But ultimately, doing things with integrity will bring the results you truly desire.
What is integrity? Integrity is consistently being trustworthy, faithful, honest, blameless, innocent, righteous, and moral.
Dishonesty is the opposite of integrity.
Integrity will protect you and promote you when the time comes. It will guide you in making the right decisions, and you will be honored in time.
A life of integrity will lead you down a life of rewards and fruit. A life of dishonesty will lead you down a life of regret and consequences.
Instead of letting the hard and discouraging times get the best of us, let it be an opportunity to exercise integrity.
Job chose to maintain his integrity – as did David, Paul, the disciples, and even Jesus. Their time for promotion came. They reaped the rewards and fruit of integrity at the end of the day.
Job 27:4-6 says, “My lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.”
What comes up for you when you think of the word “intentional”?
I think of doing things with a purpose or goal or doing something with all your heart.
More importantly, I think of not doing something out of guilt or shame. Sometimes life can feel like a list of obligations instead of things “we get to do.”
Being intentional is difficult because our routines and negative thought patterns can quickly take over. It is easy for regular routines to become tradition and religion.
We can even get this way with our prayer life, devotional time, time with loved ones, and even strangers we randomly meet.
We act out of habit instead of intention.
Do you know that just one moment of being intentional – like smiling, listening, or talking to someone can change lives?
We start making a lasting impact when we choose to act with intention.
How will you begin to be more intentional?
I want to encourage you to choose one thing this week to do with intention. Even one act can make a difference.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13
The Bible talks a lot about the power of our words. Words can direct our life!
James 3:4-5 says, “And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
Words carry weight and power!
Words speak life or death!
Words encourage or discourage!
Words give hope or anxiety!
Words bring healing or tear down!
What words are you speaking over your life?
Your inner voice matters! Those words play a huge part in how your day (and life) will go.
We have to continue filling ourselves up with the right things because what flows from our mouths comes from the heart.
Let’s choose today to speak positive, kind, and encouraging words into our lives and others’ lives!
“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” -Luke 6:45 NLT
Change is never easy, and stepping out into something new can even be scary.
It’s easy for us to get comfortable with the familiar.
But the truth is to grow; we have to get uncomfortable.
God knows our future. He has lined up the steps and paths we take. But what do you do when those steps aren’t what you imagined or expected?
Every step we take prepares us for what God has next!
The Lord is our GPS and leads us one direction at a time. He guides and leads you step-by-step to get to the final destination.
The Israelites were led step-by-step to the promised land. They didn’t see the big picture, but they learned to trust and obey God! And you can too.
God’s plans for you are GOOD, and NOT TO HARM YOU! Those plans will fall into line as we learn to trust and obey Him.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths, I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. -Isaiah 42:16 NIV
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