By Toyin Olugbemi, Ph.D.
What is mercy? Mercy is crucial for life and in relating with God and fellow men. Mercy is what makes it possible for us to enjoy our relationship with God even though He is a Consuming Fire. We enjoy blessings from God despite our many iniquities, inadequacies and shortcomings because God is merciful. There possibly cannot be blessings from God without mercy.
The Indispensability of Mercy
Virtually all we enjoy of the Lord is the product of God’s mercy, grace and goodness. Mercy and grace often go together. Grace gives place to mercy, just as God’s mercy typically makes grace to abound. In this wise, mercy becomes indispensable. Mercy is a necessity. No mercy, no blessings, no forgiveness!
So, when is mercy needed and for what?
When Is Mercy Needed?
- In times of unfruitfulness/unproductivity: When efforts in ministry, evangelism, prayer, and fasting are not yielding expected or required results or nothing seems to change, there is need to cry to God for mercy (Psalm 25:6-10). Mercy is needed when anticipated increase or change is not forthcoming. Such is a time to plead for mercy and examine your life, approach, association and methods. God’s mercy will show you the crux of the matter as you cry to Him.
- A complex, knotty situation/problem that cannot be explained: When we have inexplicable circumstances around us as in the case of Hannah who was barren and was always sore-vexed by her husband’s second wife (1 Samuel 1:1-9). In such a situation, only the mercy of God can make a difference. After all, the Bible says clearly that children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward. May the Lord God arise for your enthronement now in Jesus name.
- When faced with great opposition: A slim, once for all time opportunity, where there is no more hope after that (Mark 10:46-52). Blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and he chose to seize the opportunity by crying out to Jesus for mercy. The more some folks rebuked him to keep quiet, the louder his cry for mercy. And the Lord, in response to his cry for mercy, stood still and called him. Then the people who had been rebuking him to keep quiet asked him to cheer up because the Lord Jesus had heard him and was calling him. I decree this hour that all who have hitherto been obstructing or forestalling your progress, lifting or breakthrough in life, will become the very facilitators of your miracle in Jesus name. Every stumbling block is turned to a stepping stone to your place of enthronement and height of glorious manifestation in Jesus name.
- When your life is a mess: When what had been working for you no longer works, and life appears as if everything is now working against you, the mercy of God is highly needed. There is perhaps no better time to cry for mercy for divine assistance than such a time.
- When experiencing or confronted with diverse afflictions or sorrows: God is the one who heals, the one who delivers and in whose presence is the fullness of joy. Sorrow and afflictions signify that we are not in His presence or not with Him.
- When you crave success and excellence: To be outstanding or to excel and stand out requires the mercy of God. It is partnership with God that makes one peculiar and most excellent. Hard work is necessary but that alone does not assure success and excellence. Labour without favour from above often produces frustration. May your little efforts always produce marvellous, unimaginable and confounding results in Jesus name.
- To finish well and strong: Whoever really desires to run the Christian race very well and remain strong till the end will never trivialize the mercy of God.
Mercy is very vital in life. Unless one enjoys the mercies of the Lord, life for him or her will consist of a lot of vain struggles, disappointments, unrewarded toiling and suffering. Your life will not be devoid of mercy in Jesus name.
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