Undeserved mercy...

    This theme of mercy has truly been an encouragement to me at various times. It has been a reminder to me that God has the final say, especially when circumstances and situations seem to dictate otherwise.
    I am reminded of the story of Mephibosheth in the Bible. He was the grandson of king Saul. After Saul’s disobedience to God in 1 Samuel 15, God rejects him as king over His people, Israel. Through the prophet Samuel, He tells him that He will give his kingdom to someone else, ideally rejecting not just him but his family line after him. 
    Years later, however, when David becomes the new king over Israel, David, who was a close friend of Jonathan, Saul’s son, chooses to show kindness to any member of Saul’s household that could be found (2 Samuel 9). Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son is mentioned to the king. In his kindness, David restores all the land that had belonged to Saul. As if that is not enough, he declares that he would always eat at his table (v.7).
    This is a story of mercy. In his latter days, Saul had been unfairly unkind to David and had tried to take his life. David could have felt justified to, in turn, show unkindness to Saul’s surviving household. Instead he chose to be a blessing. However, there is another part to this story. Mephibosheth was lame in his feet. He was five years old when news of his father’s and grandfather’s death came. His nurse picked  him up and as she hurried to leave with him, he fell and became lame in his feet (2 Samuel 4:4). Mephibosheth sees himself as useless and not deserving of this great honour and blessing from the king: “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8) Yet, David is not moved by who his family is or his physical condition. He chooses to show kindness and mercy to someone who  is deemed undeserving. 
    It’s the same with us and God. At times, we may not feel deserving of God’s kindness and mercy toward us. We know that we have done wrong, we know that our life is not perfect, we know that circumstances may deem us unfit for goodness to come our way. Yet, God does not see the way man sees. He does not choose to love us or be kind to us because we are deserving. It that were the case, I think you would agree that our lives would be miserable. 
    I thank God that He is not a God who judges the way man judges; He does not view things the way man does. His ways and thoughts are and will thankfully always be higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). God is good. God is merciful. Period. It is not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who He is and because of His mercy and love toward us.
    When Jesus came to this earth to die for you and me, it wasn’t because we were deserving of His grace and mercy, because we weren’t. It was because God loves us and chose instead to make a way for us to escape the consequences we do deserve - eternal damnation. Mephibosheth never expected goodness to come his way, but it did. I think at times, we too, as God’s children, feel undeserving when goodness comes our way. Yet, Psalm 103:17 says: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children.” 
    This is just a simple reminder that God loves you. Period. His mercies are new every morning and they are eternal. He will always want the best for you and will always choose to be good to you even when, at times, you don’t deserve it. God is good. God is love. God is the God of mercy.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. We all need a God who loves and cares about us, whether we feel deserving or not. God will never fail us, He will never abandon us, He will always be there when we need Him. Be encouraged.

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