Mercy – Page 2 – Be Still…

1 Timothy 1:12-17 – Whom God Uses

colorful people figures walking forward following each other

Think for a moment about Paul’s life before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. What a dramatic difference from what Paul’s life looks like as an apostle of Jesus! If we look at Bible heroes in general, we see how unprepared they were on their own.

God always equips those he calls. There is no greater honor than to be used by God for his purposes. Can you think of some examples in the Bible? The pages of Scripture are full of times we see God using imperfect people for the sake of his mission.

Jeremiah 12:14-17 – Hope for All

Read Jeremiah 12:14-17

person standing with arm reaching up facing the sun and sun beams

Is he talking about us? Verse 14 says he’s talking about the evil nations seeking to harm Israel. They are not God’s chosen ones. God’s fury is settling in on Israel and Judah, but what about the rest of the world?

We know from the other messages Jeremiah has been sharing that God will use other nations to bring destruction. But in this reading, the prophecy switches to give hope to other nations as well. The instruction is there for how they can find favor with God, too.

Micah 6:1-8 – What the Lord Requires of Us

Read Micah 6:1-8

Have you ever been mad at God? So mad that you turned away from him and started “acting out” like a rebellious child? Maybe you’ve even yelled at him for something he allowed to happen. It just wasn’t fair. I can relate and think of time when I felt disappointed and let down only to look back and realize God was there all along. Life lessons are not always enjoyable.

In God’s message through Micah in this reading, we see God pleading with his people to tell him their innermost secrets. God wants them to verbalize what he has done wrong. He quickly points out several examples of great deliverance and provision. God wants to understand, and he wants to hear it in their own words.

Judges 5:1-11 – Deborah’s Song

Read Judges 5:1-11

There is some good stuff in Deborah’s Song, so we’ll unpack it slowly over the next few readings. There is no reason to rush through a chapter when we can take time to savor how it is speaking to us. I’ve known people who have studied for months, even years, on just a few verses! God’s word is alive, and it always brings new messages when the time is right.

We now start to imagine the victory chants that took place when Deborah’s words, actually God’s message to Deborah, came true! They had defeated their foe, and even the earth trembled. That speaks to me of the great communion of God with his creation. When God’s will is being accomplished, we can expect to witness a movement taking place.

Jude 1:17-25 – Do This To Be Safe!

Read Jude 1:17-25

quote: do something today that your future self will thank you for

Jude is pretty clear on what we should do. “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” Don’t we all want to be “safe.” In the world today that could be safety from the pandemic. In other places, it is safety from war or other crimes. Our destiny is safe when we place our trust in Jesus.

The book of Jude is small and mighty. We don’t visit it too often; and preachers don’t often preach from it. But this message was blessed and included in our Holy Scripture for a reason. Since our brains are designed to keep us safe, verses 20 and 21 (above) should really resonate with us. Being “safe in God’s love” sounds to be the safest place we can be.