Devotionals
Mercy, and not Sacrifice
"For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
A pastor related a story of a poor woman who stole bread in order to feed her children. She was brought before the judge for sentencing. The judge told her that it was his duty to pass sentence on her because she had broken the law. She either had to pay a fine or spend time in jail. The judge, however, put his hand in his pocket and retrieved the amount of money needed to pay the fine. This judge showed mercy knowing the woman's circumstances would not permit her to pay the fine, and to send her to jail would jeopardize the life of her children. He, however, chastised her community for not recognizing that this woman's needs were so dire that she was forced to steal to feed her children.
Mercy is what God desires of us. He asks us to show mercy to the poor. It was Jesus who told His disciples "the poor you always have with you." (Matt.26:11) and Jeremiah 15:11 states "For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to the needy, in thy land." It behoves us then to remember we are our brother's keeper and we should not refrain from giving a helping hand to those in need. The poor have always been taken advantage of. Without negotiating skills, or resources to pay a lawyer to seek their interests they find themselves in distress. "He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor." (Proverbs 14:31).
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Good lesson for this morning. Blessings sweet lady.
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