If you had to take the concept of “Knowing God” and explain it practically, how would you do that? I don’t mean the theology behind salvation (which is important, but not for this particular post), I’m talking about the practical outflow of that salvation. What does it mean for my life, that I know God?

In the book of Zechariah, God is laying out a bunch of charges against the evil His children had been a part of. He was hitting them for idolatry, sexual perversions, violence, greed and whole a bunch of other sins. Things had not been well in Israel.

However, part way through chapter seven, He turns it around and starts talking about what He does want to see. And in 7:10, God gives a top-5 list of characteristics that should represent His children:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’”

It’s interesting that God didn’t say, “Obey the 10 commandments” although He certainly want His children to do that. Instead, He gave them 5 action steps that would bring His own heart joy; five actions God wants from His followers that He asks for in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation! Think about these five action steps:

1. Show true justice (don’t let your decisions be tainted by money, social status or personal gain)

2. Show mercy to people; remember the mercy God has given you and be willing to give the same to others

3. Be compassionate; God has compassion on you so that you will have compassion on others

4. Be kind to the hurting

5. Think the best of each other

How can you intentionally put one (or more!) of those five actions into practice today? Here are a few thoughts on how to do that:

Justice

Could you fight for justice for those who are powerless? Could you advocate for someone who cannot advocate for themselves? Maybe for the unborn? Maybe for the homeless? Maybe for the disabled?

Mercy

So many people in this world live hard lives because no one has ever shown them mercy. Mercy is withholding punishment to someone who deserves it. The prisoner who deserves to be alone; the child who deserves punishment; the boss who deserves snide comments. So, Could you visit someone in prison today? Could you deal with your children in mercy today? Could you support your boss or teacher even if they haven’t earned the right?

Compassion

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reminds us that God gives us compassion and comfort so that we might offer the same to others. Could you have compassion on a homeless man or woman today? Could you show compassion for a hurting neighbor? Our city is under heavy floods today, and there are city-workers and volunteers who are showing awesome compassion by working tirelessly for others’ safety and protection — could you share in something like that? Could you sort clothes at a homeless shelter or visit with children? Could you support a child through Compassion International (or someone other child-supporting agency)?

Be kind to the hurting

How could you put love in action for someone in your life today? Could you visit with a widow or widower? Could you take someone out to lunch who normally wouldn’t/couldn’t go? Is there a way you could support a grieving friend, family or church member? Who in your life is walking through some tough times, could you call and just listen?

Think the best

1 Corinthians 13 tells us all about love, and one of the qualities of love is this: Love always thinks the best. In other words, love assumes the best in what others say and do, not the worst. How could you apply that today? Maybe your boss is being a jerk, but you could assume the best — you might find out she is going through an incredibly difficult time in her life. Maybe you think your friends’ snide facebook update was directed right at you? Possibly you heard two co-workers or friends or church-members talking and thought it was about you? Choose to think best of those people regardless of what circumstances reveal, choose to think the best in others.

Make an effort to please God today by putting just ONE of those 5 actions steps into practice in your life today!

In Mark 5, Jesus heals this man possessed by a legion of demons. Before Jesus, he was living in the tombs, cutting himself with rocks, screaming and being totally out of his mind while roaming the hills naked. After Jesus, he sits at Jesus’ feet, clothed, in his right mind and ready to do anything for Christ. Look at Jesus’ response:

“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you” — Mark 5:19

These Are My People

Today I am going to do something I have never done before. I am going to take Matthew 9 and make it into a modern day parable. Let me know your thoughts.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 

 ¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

 ¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus talked a lot about prayer, and often He used parables to do the teaching. He told a story about two big-time sinners who decided to pray to illustrate the two types of motives we come to the prayer-room with: Praying to ourselves, for ourselves with ourselves versus praying to God, for God and with God.

Then a couple of times He taught about prayer by using the illustration of a judge. In Luke 18 He does the most unusual thing — He uses a judge who is entirely unmerciful and unkind. Check it out:

The God of Mercy

mercy |ˈmərsē|

noun ( pl. -cies)

compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm 

God is so full of mercy. There is a wonderful Psalm by King David. After being confronted by Nathan for committing adultery and having Uriah the husband of his mistress killed he falls on his knees and writes these powerful words.

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, 
   according to your unfailing love; 
according to your great compassion 
   blot out my transgressions. 
² Wash away all my iniquity 
   and cleanse me from my sin.

 ³ For I know my transgressions, 
   and my sin is always before me. 
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned 
   and done what is evil in your sight; 
so you are right in your verdict 
   and justified when you judge. 
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth, 
   sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; 
   you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

 ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; 
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 
⁹ Hide your face from my sins 
   and blot out all my iniquity.

 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, 
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence 
   or take your Holy Spirit from me. 
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation 
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 
   so that sinners will turn back to you. 
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, 
   you who are God my Savior, 
   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord, 
   and my mouth will declare your praise. 
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; 
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; 
   a broken and contrite heart 
   you, God, will not despise.

 ¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion, 
   to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, 
   in burnt offerings offered whole; 
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.

How many people will you pass by today? We all have pretty busy lives and schedules and often that can become an excuse — at least for me — to not take a moment to just care about the people I walk past each day. If I would just take a moment to say hi, to stop and offer a hand, to sit down and ask how they’re doing (and actually listen to their response!) I’d probably be shocked at what I’d learn.

Check out the video to this Brandon Heath Song…it’s all about taking a moment to stop and see people the way God does:

For a number of very obvious reasons it’s a very good thing that I’m not God! Apart from all the gimme reasons, here’s one that should leave you with yet another sigh of relief. On my throne room would hang a sign: All who enter here had better be bringing pizza…or had better plan to leave without their head attached!" I know, it’s a little crude and a bit long for a small wood sign but hey, if I was a deity, that’s how I’d roll.

God forgives every time we confess.  That’s an amazing promise, one that is crystal clear in 1 John 1:9.  Let’s look at it, idea by idea and then do two things:

1. Praise God because in His infinite mercy and grace, He offers us the gift of forgiveness after already offering us so much

2. Seek His forgiveness for anything in our lives that remains unsettled between us and Him

Mercy

I love the prayers in the Scriptures. Part of what we learn as we follow Jesus is to make these prayers our own. Some are simple and short prayers and others are longer more heart-felt prayers. Try to make each of these your own prayers today. Let’s start with a simple one. 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out,

“Lord, save me!”

 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?"

-Matthew 14:29-31

It’s easy to love those who constantly show me love.

Think about it, and then let God speak to you through His Word.