7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. – Matthew 5:7
Mercy: noun – Something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing (dictionary.com)
Synonyms: benevolence, charity, blessing, clemency, forgiveness, pity, generosity, goodwill, sympathy, tolerance
I have never heard directly from God. At least not in the traditional sense. While many I grew up admiring boasted of signs and clear communication, I have always felt on the outside looking in. At times, these lack of encounters, which were on my own terms, have led to doubt and frustration. In these moments, it is easy to fall into the “do more” trap. In an attempt to mirror someone else’s relationship with the divine, we attempt to read, pray, attend church, and serve more. This however is the worst trap we can fall into. Many people do much, yet still are far from Christ. While these are all noble disciplines, they make no one transformed, justified, or holy.
There are a few times people in the Bible ask Jesus to boil down faith and works into a simple path. On one such occasion (and probably many others not documented in Scripture) He says simply to love God and love others. Nothing about the traditional paths we think of when it comes to faith.
Not “Study More”
Not “Pray More”
Not “Attend More”
Not even “Believe More”
When we think of the favor of God, we must never detach it from grace for this is the engine of our faith. The grace and mercy we receive, must then be poured out to our neighbors. It is in these moments that we not only see God, but also partner with God in a work greater than we can see. Mercy/Charity/Love given to others, is the way we find more of His presence.
Is it not like the humble Christ to take the focus off God all together, placing it back to a wounded creation?
We love Him fully when we love what He created.
He speaks through us when we speak for others.
We feel His presence when we show radical mercy.
Today, connect to others with faithful abandon for this is how God communicates.
Matt simon blog 