God’s Mercy 

The God of the Bible loves to show mercy. He is very loving and forgiving, slow to anger and very patient. He knows that we are made of dust. He does not like it when we do the wrong thing, but He understands our weaknesses and is quick to forgive when we ask Him to. He also asks us to show mercy to others. 

What is Mercy?

Mercy is a special type of kindness – a kindness that is not deserved. When we do something wrong, we expect discipline or punishment for our wrong doing. When we receive kindness and forgiveness instead, we call this Mercy. It means we didn’t get what we deserved – we got the opposite. God’s mercy is based on His unfailing Love. His Love never fails. 

Bible Verses about Mercy

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies (Psalm 25:10). But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). 

What does it mean to show mercy to someone?

The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives (Psalm 37:12). When you show mercy to someone, you have compassion on them. You do not judge them for their shortcomings, but rather, you see the image of God in them and you care for them. You help them, even if they don’t deserve it. The Bible most often talks about showing mercy to the poor – showing kindness to them is merciful because they cannot repay you. It is compassion that expects nothing in return. It is benevolent affection that is not deserved. 

How do I ask God for His Mercy?

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever (Psalm 52:8). Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak (Psalm 6:2). These Scriptures tell us to do two things – Trust in God’s mercy and Ask for God’s mercy with a humble heart. Part of asking for it is simply acknowledging our need of it – our weakness and reliance on His help to do what is right. When we trust in His mercy, it opens our heart to believe that when we ask for it, we will receive it. It’s as simple as that.