Seeking Him Daily Devotional

Undeserved Mercy

April 9, 2014 by Ahmee Bronaugh

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7 NIV

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is by his great mercy that we have been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now we live with great expectation….
1 Peter 1:3

Every Christian has received mercy.

The fact that we can call ourselves born-again Christians indicates that we have been shown mercy. God, in all His infinite wisdom and knowledge, gives mercy—freely. Not only is God’s mercy free, but He offers mercy to everyone. Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant. The story of the gospel is a story soaked in mercy! He offered mercy to the women caught in adultery. He showed mercy to Peter after he denied Him three times.

Each of these stories illustrate God’s mercy, but there is another account I want to focus on….

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord ? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
Jonah 3:10-4:3

Reading Jonah’s response makes me laugh. Literally, he wants to die because God showed mercy to a repenting city. The difference between Jonah’s story and our day to day lives is that the people we are asked to give mercy to are the ones who steal from us, who hurt us and our loved ones—the ones who don’t deserve it and for good reason!

Oversimplified, the concept of showing mercy is give because you received. God gave us mercy and so we should give it. (And before the comparing and contrasting starts…remember, a sin is a sin.)

I personally find it easier to extend mercy by calling it “undeserved mercy.” This helps remind me that I’m not giving it because it’s deserved, but that I’m giving it because I didn’t deserve it and yet, I got it.

Oh, and don’t forget to accept mercy from God and be merciful to yourself.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23

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Thank You, Lord, for Your new mercies. Thank You for Your endless mercy. And help me to extend the same mercies to those around me. Praying in Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: 1 Peter 1:3, ahmee bronaugh, be merciful, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, jonah, Jonah 3:10-4:3, lamentations 3:22-23, merciful, mercy, Seeking Him devotional, undeserved mercy

Relationships

April 8, 2014 by Tina Marin

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7 NIV

The word mercy for me conjures up memories of scenes from movies portraying Christ. Dictionary.com gave this meaning: “compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner”. How many times have we been shown mercy in our DAILY walk? I shudder to think of how I may unknowingly have offended my heavenly Father.

Then I began to think, “How do I show mercy to others?” Do I become short when I am pressed for time and someone asks me questions? Yes, unfortunately I feel like I do sometimes. My boss is an excellent example of showing mercy and being fair. No matter how busy she is, she takes the time to speak with that person and make them feel valued.

Christ is a perfect example of mercy. When the woman who was caught in adultery was brought before Jesus for Him to condemn and punish her, He showed her mercy. He was gentle in His reproach to the men of the synagogue, to the point that they slowly turned away, one by one (see John 8:1-11). He did not need to be told her background…He already knew her story. But He also knew the hearts of the men who had brought her to Him. Jesus loves us unconditionally, and He wants to know us. His Father will discipline us when necessary, but Jesus will always intercede on our behalf.

My mom told me one day she was mad at me because of a dream she had. It was this: Someone had broken into our store. She had hit the man over the head with a cast iron skillet and knocked him unconscious. She told me to watch over the man and make sure he didn’t leave while she went to get help. When she came back she was shocked to see that I was dressing the man’s head wounds! She laughed and I said, ‘Well that sounds like me doesn’t it?’ She just shook her head.

I want to continue to be that person and show compassion and mercy toward others. When we pray and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will direct our paths and help guide us in our choices. This will go so far in our own relationships with family and friends. Remember there are those who watch and learn from your actions and reactions. Just remember you can start a new way of thinking today. No matter how old you are, with the Holy Spirit, you can begin practicing mercy and compassion toward others. Once you begin to extend it in all situations, you will feel a new lease on life…a refreshing of your spirit.

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Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of mercy. Show us, Lord, how we can use this gift in our everyday lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: Beatitudes, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Jesus speaking, Matthew 5:7, merciful, mercy, Seeking Him devotional, shown mercy, Tina Marin

The Blessing of Mercy

April 7, 2014 by Ann Mwafulirwa

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matthew 5:7

The Beatitudes were not given as commands but as realities for those who are part of Christ’s Kingdom. We might call them Kingdom-Characteristics or Kingdom-Evidences. They describe the believer; and, by the same token, they are effective instruments to root out unbelief in the heart and expose an unregenerate condition. They do reflect attitudes of the heart, but they also explain the way believers will relate not only to God but also to those about them. Without attempting to slice them too neatly, it does appear that the first four Beatitudes focus primarily on the believer’s relationship with God, while the latter four aim primarily toward others. All of the Beatitudes have to do with Kingdom Life, and thus each of them will impact all of our relationships.

We speak of having mercy, or showing mercy, or being merciful, but we don’t speak of mercy-ing someone. Yet mercy is more than a feeling–it’s something that is apparent in our actions. As Christians, we have been on the receiving end of God’s merciful acts; and so we should be the first to make mercy a characteristic of our lives.

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a king who forgave one of his slaves who owed him a lot of money. Although the slave had been forgiven a great debt, nevertheless he went out and had a man thrown in prison who owed him a relative pittance. The king’s retribution against the slave was severe, because the slave was unwilling to show the same kind of mercy he had received. Jesus told the story in answer to Peter’s question, “How many times should we forgive someone?” This is how the Kingdom of Heaven operates, Jesus is saying…as much as mercy has been shown to you (and, in Christ, we have been shown greater mercy than we can comprehend), you show that mercy to others.

The previous Beatitudes have referred to blessings poured out upon those who are oppressed, weak, and in need of mercy. This Beatitude directs those who might be in a position to help such people to show mercy. I think other Biblical teaching, particularly the example set by the early church in Acts 4, indicates that the Christian’s first object of mercy should be those within the Church. Every church has people who are in need of help—whether physical, financial, or spiritual—and the Body of Christ should be willing to help those people.

But then, every church should also look beyond their own walls to the community, and seek ways to show the love and mercy of Christ to those outside the church. And not simply as a tool to get them to come to church. But rather as a genuine, compassionate outreach that God might be pleased to use us to affect people’s lives–that we might be conduits of the Spirit’s blessings to people who desperately need Him. We can’t change people’s hearts but, through our actions, we can demonstrate the love and mercy of the One who can. It just might be that God would use us to draw people to Himself.

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Lord, thank You for Your mercy upon us. Let the Holy Spirit help us show mercy as a sign of love, too. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: ann mwafulirwa, Beatitudes, blessed are the merciful, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Jesus speaking, Matthew 5:7, mercy, Seeking Him devotional

Am I Merciful?

April 6, 2014 by cynda cottrill

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—
with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation,
regardless of their outward conditions)
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!
Matthew 5:7 AMP

As I was researching this verse, what struck me was the call for self-evaluation—am I merciful? What does it mean to be merciful? Systematic Theology defines mercy as “…the eternal principle of God’s nature which leads Him to seek eternal salvation….even at the cost of infinite self-sacrifice.” He extends mercy and grace to us, even to those who oppose Him, both now and forever more. Am I willing to sacrifice in order to show mercy? Do I show mercy to those I don’t like, even to those who have hurt me or oppose me? Easton’s Bible Dictionary says mercy is a Christian grace. The Greek Dictionary uses words like “tender, kindly, compassionate.” Is that who I am?

Joyce Meyer calls the Beatitudes the “Be-Happy-Attitudes.” Mercy (and being merciful) is just that—an attitude. It is more than taking action, more than a surface experience.

Mercy needs to become ingrained in me.
Merciful should be what I am as a Christian.
Merciful means I need the right attitude before I take action.

Mercy is not about overlooking sin or being easygoing in the face of wrong. It is having sympathy and compassion for those who are hurting. To be merciful is a heartfelt desire to help, or to alleviate suffering. Being merciful is to bear the pain and misery of others, without pride, (being aware of the mercy I have been shown) with no expectations, not seeking anything in return. For Matthew 25:40 tells us “…to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

There is no better reason to be merciful than the mercy that has been extended to me. Undeserved mercy! But our gracious God rewards us when we are merciful. The Amplified Bible says we are “…happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous…” when we are merciful.

Proverbs 11:17 tells us: “The merciful man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him].”
James 2:13 puts it this way: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” But we should be merciful even if there are no rewards simply because we are called to be merciful.
Micah 6:8 says “And this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Luke 6:36 states: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

So today I am examining my attitudes.

I want mercy to be who I am, not just something I do.

Maybe you do, too.

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Lord, I am so very thankful You chose to extend mercy to me, even before I knew You. I did not nor do I deserve the sacrifice You made for me. But I gratefully accept Your merciful gift. Please remind me to be merciful in heart and spirit as well as action and deed. My desire is to become more like You and for others to see You shining through me. In Your precious and holy name! Amen, so be it.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: Beatitudes, cynda cotrill, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, james 2:13, Jesus speaking, luke 6:36, Matthew 5:7, merciful, Micah 6:8, proverbs 11:17

As The Deer – Matthew 5:6

April 5, 2014 by coleen hayden

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: As The Deer, Beatitudes, coleen hayden, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Jesus speaking, Robin Mark, Seeking Him devotional

Biblical Common Sense

April 4, 2014 by Tonya Ellison

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

Every year for the past eleven years I have filled out a survey at my children’s annual physical checkup. From ages 2-6, I am required to ask them the question, “What do you do when you’re hungry?” Of course they respond with “Eat,” or “Ask for food,” things such as that. I’ve always wondered why this question is asked…why such a common inquiry is made; even small children know what to do and how to respond. But there must be a reason that each year we are reminded to quiz our children on such a simple thing, something we see as common and natural.

When I read this Scripture, I thought of this scenario. We know we’re supposed to seek God and do as He commands and instructs; doing this leads to righteousness. In a sense it is biblical common sense. We hunger for God’s Word and for His guidance and love. and when we hunger, when we strive, we find righteousness. Just as the pediatrician reminds us to look closely at common things, so does Christ. Sometimes we become so engulfed in our life that we forget to consciously thirst for Christ and to be hungry for His word, His direction. So He has given us reminders, such as these verses, to look at and to remind us. This is more than an answer on a piece of paper. It is a reminder that when we seek Him and when we thirst for him, He will fill us. When we seek…we will find. When we thirst…we will be filled. Common sense, yes; but the reminders are much needed, much desired.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7

He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty
Luke 1:53

Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, there are times we forget common things, like what to do when we’re hungry. Like the pediatrician, You remind us of what we sometimes forget to see—that our thirst for You will lead to righteousness and that we will be filled when we hunger and thirst for Your Word. Lord, remind us to seek You daily. And to thirst for You always. Increase our desire to be filled, so that we will not forget the common things, so that we will not forget to seek, and ask, to find and to hunger. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: atthew 5:6, daily devotional, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, luke 1:53, matthew 7:7, Seeking Him devotional, Tonya Ellison

Spiritual Hunger and Thirst

April 3, 2014 by laurapattillo

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

As children we hunger to learn what is right and what is wrong. We are supposed to learn this from our loving parents—the ones that God has blessed us with. From a young age when we start to learn between right and wrong, we hunger and thirst to do right so as to please those around us. As children of God, we should do the same. We should hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God.

As Christians, we have a hunger and thirst for a relationship with God. Once we accept Christ, we begin that relationship. Even before the Samaritan woman received Christ, she thirsted for the righteousness of God. The Samaritan woman was already thirsting for Jesus before she even met and spoke with Him. When she asked for the living water, Jesus told her everything about herself. He already knew her. She ran back to tell the people who shunned her. That day many became children of God. Even though she had sinned, Jesus blessed her.

As the children of God we, like the Samaritan woman, have sinned. However, if we want to be in a relationship with Jesus, our spiritual thirst and hunger can be satisfied by accepting Him. All we have to do is believe that He died on the Cross for us and rose three days later to defeat death and sin.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for satisfying our thirst and hunger with Your righteousness. Without You, our spirit would be forever hungry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: Beatitudes, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, hunger and thirst, Jesus speaking, John 4:9-15, laura pattillo, matthew 5:6, Samaritan woman, Seeking Him devotional

A Hunger for God

April 2, 2014 by Tina Marin

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

Ever had that overwhelming desire to know our Creator and God more fully? To know His forgiveness is complete? Sure you have…me, too! As we walk through our life there are those moments when the desire is so intense that we want to devour every bit of information we can glean.

As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God.
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?
Psalms 42:1-2 HCSB

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You;
my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.
Psalms 63:1-2 HCSB

How can we satisfy our hunger and thirst for God?

By becoming immersed in His Word
By listening to music that uplifts us
By simply being still and listening to His creation that is all around us

When was the last time you sat in communion with God? I cannot remember the last time I was able to sit for more than 2 minutes and listen for God.

You may say, ‘How can I hear God?’ That is as simple as listening and observing God’s creation. Most of us have a devotional time. When we are in those moments, is it by ourselves, with no distractions, no television on to distract or the radio? Do we listen to our devotion while we are driving to work?

Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament says,

This past weekend, our pastor continued his teaching on God, Our Deliverer. He stated that no matter how many times we fail, we should not give up on repentance, and coming to know our heavenly Father more intimately. The evil one would love nothing more than to discourage you from seeking the knowledge, peace, and comfort that only God can provide.

Just as the woman at the well asked Jesus about the living water He spoke of and explained, we can continue throughout our lives seeking for it as well. It is not given just once, but continuously as we seek to know Him (John 4:14). God wants no one to perish. He has adopted us, grafted us into His family, and He will fight to keep us in it. Oh, what a wonderful Father we serve!

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Father, we humbly thank You and praise You for Your mercy and grace so freely given. Forgive us for when we fail to admit our shortcomings and our sins to You. Help us to rid ourselves of our selfish pride and arrogance and seek to model our lives after Your Son, Jesus. Holy Spirit, be with us and guide us. Show us when we stray and help us turn back to our Father. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: Barnes' Notes on the New Testament, Beatitudes, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, hunger and thirst for God, Jesus speaking, John 4:14, matthew 5:6, psalm 42:1-2, psalm 63:1-2, Seeking Him devotional, Tina Marin

Hunger and Thirst

April 1, 2014 by cynda cottrill

Blessed (happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
(justice) for they will be filled (satisfied).
Matthew 5:6

Happy and blessed…yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied)
are the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 144:15

I enjoy verse mapping. I find it helps me dig deeper to understand the meaning of a particular Scripture. So I versed mapped Matthew 5:6 and this is what I found.

The Scriptures above point the way to happiness. Happiness hides when we seek it. When pursued it cannot be found. True happiness is only found when we chase after God wholeheartedly…passionately seeking Him. Passion that is illustrated in Psalms 42:1-2:

As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God.
My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God.

This type of hunger and thirst is a longing so intense that it cannot be satisfied by just a bite or a sip. It is a deep craving for more—wanting all of it instead of just a piece or a snack.

So what is it we are to seek so intently? To be right with God…to be delivered from the bondage of sin…to be completely forgiven—past, present and future. We are seeking justification—to be pardoned of all our sins. Easton’s Bible Dictionary states: “Justification declares that all the claims of the Law are satisfied in respect of the justified. The Law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense.” A full and complete pardon. The slate is wiped clean and we are given a fresh start.

So where does this righteousness, this justification, come from? It is not of our own doing. We cannot achieve righteousness on our own.

Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.
But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work,
but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
Romans 4:3, 5

Only through faith can we be made righteous. Then we are filled with God’s holiness and literally saturated with happiness. We are filled with His love and satisfied by His grace.

The Scriptures tell us the righteous will prosper and receive blessing from the Lord. Hosea 10:12 confirms this: “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love.” Blessings abound when we seek His righteousness, causing us to seek Him even more.

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Lord, thank You for Your many blessings. I am so grateful that You are easy to find when I seek You. Thank You for satisfying my longings for You. Deepen those longings so I continually seek Your righteousness, Your justice so I can be made complete in You. Amen, so be it!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: Beatitudes, cynda cottrill, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, hunger and thirst, Jesus speaking, matthew 5:6, psalms 42:1-2, romans 4:3 and 5, Seeking Him devotional

God’s Justice

March 31, 2014 by Ahmee Bronaugh

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

I’ve always been one to want fairness and for justice to come into play. Before I got saved, the ideals I held said that, if you did wrong, you should be punished.

So, imagine how shocked I was when I got saved and actually started reading the Bible for myself. A Christian murderer forgiven and used to write most of the New Testament (the Apostle Paul). I myself am not surprised that I favored the Old Testament to the New. In the Old Testament people got what they deserved—Sodom and Gomorrah burned to the ground; the Israelites were hard-headed and -hearted and were made to wander around the Promised Land until they got it together; even the man after God’s own heart (David) suffered the consequences of his affair.

Needless to say, people should have consequences for their actions. But I understood this in an extreme sense. Talk to me about justice, I could give you the Law. Then talk to me about mercy or grace and you would see me struggle to make the connection between the three.

Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
Psalms 45:6-7

Mercy, grace and justice…in my mind, there was no way they could mix. God is a mighty God, a Sovereign God, a loving, caring, merciful, and just God—and He understands the balance between the three.

Jesus is what mercy, grace, and justice look like wrapped up into one.

And now when I see wrong, I don’t excuse it. But I don’t try to bring the gavel down so quickly; instead I seek God and ask for His insight. Jesus died for me, for you, for all of us! One God to perfectly live among us. One man to die for the world’s sin.

Where is the justice in Calvary? An innocent man died for all of mankind. I am free and I am forgiven and I experience grace because my God said He loved me so much! He could not imagine living apart from me and so He came and did what only He could do.

Justice? What we see as just is not often what God sees as just. God’s justice is seasoned with grace and mercy. And oh! how thankful I am! Thankful that Jesus did not stay in the grave. Thankful that Jesus was given His throne in heaven. Thankful that Jesus will be coming again.

Justice? There is a big picture when it comes to God’s justice. Your situation may not seem fair, but our God is a God of justice! Seek Him. Ask Him to show you! And remember…the battle is the Lord’s to fight.

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Thank you, Lord, for Your awesomeness, Your amazingness and Your never-ending love. We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: ahmee bronaugh, Beatitudes, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied, daily devotions, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God is a God of justice, Jesus speaking, matthew 5:6, psalms 45:6-7, Seeking Him devotional

Undeserved Mercy

Every Christian has received mercy.

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Relationships

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The Blessing of Mercy

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Am I Merciful?

I want mercy to be who I am, not just something I do.

Maybe you do, too.

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As The Deer – Matthew 5:6

Biblical Common Sense

Spiritual Hunger and Thirst

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A Hunger for God

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Hunger and Thirst

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God’s Justice

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Every Christian has received mercy.

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I want mercy to be who I am, not just something I do.

Maybe you do, too.

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