God of Mercy, Grace, Love And Forgiveness
(Michael Lee, Steward, LCEC)
READ:
Zechariah 7:1-14
Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, not Fasting.
Verse 1-7: Obedience better than fasting.
Verse 8-14: Disobedience resulted in captivity.
Psalm 41:1-13
A Psalm of David – Blessed is he who has regard for the weak. The Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
Verse 1-3: Confidence
Verse 4-9: Lament
Verse 11-13: Confidence and Praise
OBSERVE:
What I observed in Zechariah 7 is that obedience to God is better than fasting. We saw that God was not at all impressed with their fasting because they did it so selfishly. They were just living their lives for themselves.
God is presented in Zechariah 1 to 8 as a God longing for a covenant relationship with his people. He promises that He will be a God of grace, love and forgiveness. The primary message of Zechariah is that of God’s care for Jerusalem and God’s intention to restore Jerusalem.
The main emphasis is that God is at work and all His good deeds, including the construction of the Second Temple, are accomplished ‘not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit’. Ultimately, God plans to live again with His people in Jerusalem. He will save them from their enemies and cleanse them from sin.
We have God reminding the Jews that disobedience resulted in captivity. God chose to punish them by sending them out of their land. We see that in verses 12-14. The Jews had not loved God as we saw and they also did not love their neighbour. God wanted to see them executing true justice, showing mercy and being compassionate.
As for Psalm 41, it is a lament psalm. David laments that even though he does consider the poor, he himself is being mistreated and afflicted. Then, he asks God to raise him up. He expresses confidence in God hearing him. He does this to prepare himself for dealing with difficulties in his life, with God’s help. David is taking comfort in the fact that God will deliver him. He shifts into a prayer of repentance, and continually humbles himself before God and seeking healing in His forgiveness. Then, he ends this psalm with a praise.
Psalm 41 is also a reminder of God’s heart for the weak and echoes His commands to His followers to care for the weak. God is gracious to those who are gracious to the helpless and needy.
APPLY
I must learn to be more mindful, to be in obedience to God and that mercy can always lead us to worship. I thank God for His mercy on me.
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. We have so much to be thankful for in God’s mercy.
I claim God’s promise in Lamentations 3:22-23:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.
Psalm 41 teaches me to always bless the poor.
DO
In my daily walk with God, I am reminded that our God is a merciful and gracious God. There were many moments of God’s blessing in my life and God blesses me to be a blessing to others. I am reminded to show mercy, love and compassion to the poor and the less fortunate, and to also have a forgiving heart.
Therefore, I will be still and know that He is God, and I am to serve Him with all my heart as He has commanded me to.
PRAY
Dear Lord, our Father in Heaven,
I thank you for your mercy. Thank you for giving your love, grace and forgiveness instead of the punishment for my sins that I deserve. Change my heart and change my prayers. Take away my heart and replace it with a heart of gratitude that is overwhelmed with all you have already given me in your mercy alone.
Make me an obedient disciple and a faithful servant, and move me intentionally towards the path of gratitude and mindfulness.
Help me O Lord, to continue in my daily walk with you, to trust and obey, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. Lord, use me as an instrument of your love, to help the less fortunate and the disadvantaged, as I do your kingdom works. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
