“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.” (Luke 1:76-78)
Here we see Zechariah’s prophesy regarding John the Baptist. God used John to pave the way to the Messiah whom he has preceded. For the purpose of this devotional I would like to focus on the phrase “the tender mercy of our God”.
Mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”(1) God holds the key to our future. God makes the ultimate decision regarding when we live and when we die. God has shown us great mercy and compassion by not only staying His hand against our willful disobedience, but by also providing forgiveness for us through His own Son. This is incredible! Think about it for a moment. Part of the Trinity, God, the Son, willingly left heaven to live among His own creation for 33 years. He knew them intimately, just as He knows us all. Still His compassion and mercy was such that over the course of time Christ allowed Himself to be murdered for crimes He didn’t commit. That is love. That is mercy. That is God’s tender mercy at work for the benefit of a selfish and self-centered people. Praise God for His incredible mercy and embrace the forgiveness that has been purchased for you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
(1) Definition from www.oxforddictionaries.com
