A Plea for Mercy

Humor is the venue that has a way of bringing us to a place of reality. For example, a woman who had her picture taken was totally disgusted with how it looked. Storming mad, she walked into the photographer's office, slammed the picture down on his desk and said, "That picture doesn't do me justice." He responded, "Madam, with a face like yours, you don't need justice, you need mercy." While you are laughing let me ask, “Have you ever thought about how much we, too, need mercy?” You see one of the things we find difficult at times is to admit where we are spiritually.  Although filled with good intentions we find ourselves walking at a distance from God singing the all familiar tune “It’s me Oh Lord Standing in the Need of Prayer.” And more often than not that prayer is one for mercy. We pray it knowing that if God gave us what we deserve, we wouldn't stand a chance. We deserve justice, but we receive His mercy.  Why is that? It’s all because the Father knew we had need of it. When created, man received the capacity to fail but also to receive. The Creator refused to provide one without the other. That being the case the writer of Lamentations tells us how the Father provides for His children during those days when his eyes see an ugly snapshot. “Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” He concludes by saying, God--“Great is your faithfulness.”  That being said, just remember on those occasions when you are having a bad day and feel less than spiritually photogenic, you might want to make a plea for mercy.