Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
— Psalms 51:1

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
— Hebrews 4:16

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
— Proverbs 28:13

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
— Luke 18:10-14

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
— Romans 9:14-16

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Attributes of God: Mercy
By Jennifer Kane

When shadows fall and guilt weighs deep,
When broken hearts have lost their sleep,
A whisper rises, soft yet strong,
“Have mercy, Lord”—a sinner’s song.

Not wages earned, nor debts repaid,
But love that will not be outweighed;
A sovereign hand, both just and free,
Extends compassion, tenderly.

Mercy is not a passing mood,
Nor fragile kindness misconstrued;
It flows from God, a holy stream,
More radiant than the brightest beam.

It lifts the lowly, heals the sore,
Opens the gates, unlocks the door;
Where sin had chained, His mercy came,
To write new life in Jesus’ name.

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Scripture: Psalms 51:1, Hebrews 4:16, Proverbs 28:13, Luke 18:10-14, Romans 9:14-16

God’s mercy is not a weak sentiment but a powerful, sovereign, and discriminating attribute exercised according to His divine will.

From yesterday I went over grace rather than mercy, the distinction between the two is this:
Grace is God’s favor bestowed upon those who are guilty and deserve punishment. It is about not getting what we do deserve (condemnation).
Mercy is God’s pity shown to those who are miserable and in a state of distress. It is about getting what we do not deserve (relief, compassion).

Grace is especially associated with mankind in their sins; mercy with mankind in their misery. In salvation, God graciously pardons the sin and mercifully relieves the sinner from the misery that sin causes. But human misery does not obligate God to show mercy. If it did, mercy would cease to be mercy and become a debt. God is never compelled to act by anything outside His own will.

God’s mercy not as a universal blanket of niceness but as a majestic, powerful, and selective attribute. It is a comfort to the believer who rests in God’s sovereign choice but a sobering truth for those who presume upon it without repentance. The mercy of God is ultimately glorious because it originates from and resounds from the glory of God Himself.

If God has shown us such rich mercy, we cannot keep it to ourselves. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). We are called to extend compassion, forgiveness, and relief to others, not because they deserve it, but because God has already been merciful to us. Mercy transforms us from hardened, self-righteous Pharisees into humble, compassionate servants who see others through God’s eyes.

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Merciful Father, I thank You that Your mercy is new every morning and never runs out. Forgive me when I take Your mercy for granted or presume upon it. Help me to walk humbly, receiving Your mercy with gratitude and extending it to others with compassion. May Your mercy in my life reflect Your glory to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

September 10, 2025