Four Reasons God Expects You to Be Merciful

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life

Four Reasons God Expects You to Be Merciful By Rick Warren — Oct 27, 2015 “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7 NLT, second edition) Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NLT, second edition). In other words, what you give, you’re going to get. You’ve got to learn to be a minister of mercy if you want God’s blessing on your life. But why does God expect you to show mercy to others? Why should you be merciful? Because God has shown you mercy. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved” (TEV). God wants you to pass on the mercy that you’ve received from him. Because God commands you to be merciful. Do you want a summary of what life’s all about? Here it is: “The LORD has told you what is good. This is what the LORD requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 GW). Because you’re going to need more mercy in the future. You’re going to make a lot of mistakes between now and when you get to Heaven, and you’re going to need God’s mercy when you do. But you cannot receive what you are unwilling to give. James 2:13 says, “You must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment” (NCV).  Because showing mercy brings or causes happiness. Matthew 5:7 says that God blesses those who are merciful. The word “blessed” also means “happy,” so the more you learn and demonstrate this quality, the more blessed and happier you’re going to be. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does it mean to “love mercy”? How have you seen God bless you when you made the sometimes difficult but right decision to show mercy to someone? Think of some ways that you could have shown mercy to others in the last week. How do you think it might have changed the outcome of the situation? Today’s Scripture “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Cast Your Cares God cares so much about you today. Not only does He love and care about you, He cares about the things that concern you as well. If you have concerns, worry or anxiety about something in your life today—finances, relationships, your job or anything else—know that your heavenly Father already has a plan to take care of those things for you. It’s a good plan, and He wants to show Himself strong on your behalf. Scripture reminds us that the lilies of the field and the birds of the air are cared for, how much more will your heavenly Father take care of you? Today, cast your anxiety on Him and trust that He is going to take care of you. Refuse to dwell on your problems and don’t allow them to steal your peace and joy any longer. Instead, meditate on His Word and confess His promises over your life. Cast your cares on Him and experience His peace, joy and blessing all the days of your life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for loving me and caring for me. I cast my cares on You and trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I set my mind on You and look for Your goodness in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”