Be a Blessing

Every day when we pray, we ask for something good to happen to our lives. We seek refuge and hope that someone will come to help lighten our burdens each day. Sometimes too we look around and see people suffering around us. We hope that someone who can help them would do something and make them less miserable. The truth is, the world can be a better place if everyone spoke less about how much the world needs to change for the better but instead did something about it.

No Need for Superpowers

We all say, “I wish I had superpowers; then I could change the world.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t need to be bionic to help. Let’s say the superpower idea in the movies is a metaphor for your talents. We are all given a certain special trait, skill, or talent that we are really good at. This trait, talent, or skill will only have a purpose if we use it wisely to help others around us.

No Money to Help

Another excuse for not being able to help others is the idea that you can only help if you have money. Helping doesn’t always mean a huge sum of a donation to some charity. Look around you. There is always an opportunity to help others if you just lift your hands and reach out to do so.

One Act of Kindness at a Time

You may not be able to heal those who are sick or give scholarships to orphans, but there is always something you can do. I believe we are given chances to help others if we only open our eyes to recognize them. Just like a scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, God said, “We all can help with one act of kindness at a time.” Little actions become a habit, and it is contagious. So help an old lady across the street or open a door for someone when you get the chance and see how that makes you feel.

The Power of a Smile

Would you believe that a simple smile could be a great help or blessing to someone who badly needs it at that very moment? People have learned to disguise their emotions and pretend that everything is fine even when it’s not. Many people are lonely, but they are afraid to reach out to others because of the fear of rejection. Offer a ready smile to people you meet. Trust me; somehow you will make someone out there happy even if it’s just for a little while.

The Gift of Time

The best blessing you can be to someone is to be a friend who gives time to someone in trouble. Giving some time to listen to someone’s story or simply being there as a shoulder to cry on makes a whole lot of difference in someone else’s life. Imagine if you were not there? It feels good to know you’ve comforted someone in need.

The Blessing Is You

A blessing is not just money or any material thing that people wish for. The best blessing is you sharing yourself with the world. Remember never to pass up a chance to help someone in need. No matter how simple the task is, every little act of kindness counts. And when other people see how doing good works for you, they will do the same. Imagine if all the people in the world did little acts of kindness to others. The world would be a better place for sure. So don’t pass up the chance to be a blessing to others today.

Lord, Have Mercy

I cry out to the LORD;

I plead for the LORD’s mercy. Psalm

When I think of the phrase “Lord, have mercy!” I picture somebody’s grandmother remarking on a situation that is both desperate and humorous. Perhaps she has just heard that her grandson got his driver’s license: “Lord, have mercy!” means “Oh, my! Help him! Help me! Help us all!”

Ironically, the phrase “Lord, have mercy!” has now made its entrance into pop culture via the Internet, though in abbreviated form. LHM appears regularly on Facebook, Twitter, and in text messages. For example, a recent Tweet reads, “It’s Superhot today! LHM .” As a resident of south-central Texas, I can retweet that one! Lord, have mercy, indeed!

David begins his prayer in Psalm 142 with a version of LHM: “I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy” (142:1). The Hebrew verb translated here as “I plead” is a form of the root verb that means “to be gracious, to show pity, to have mercy.” David is not just crying out to the Lord. He is seeking mercy, pity, and grace. By implication, David understands that God does not owe him. God is not obligated because of David’s position or exemplary behavior. Rather, David recognizes that he is utterly dependent on God’s goodness, on God’s choice to show kindness.

The good news for David, and for us, is that God does show mercy. In fact, mercy is central to God’s character. When he reveals himself to Moses, God identifies himself as “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy!” (Exod. 34:6). According to Ephesians 2:4, God is “rich in mercy.” Hebrew 4:16 offers the following invitation: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it the most.”

So, when, like David, we are in a desperate situation, we can cry out to God for help, putting confidence in our richly merciful God. In a sense, though, every one of our prayers is a cry for mercy, whether we are in a crisis or not. We do not approach God on the basis of our own worthiness. Rather, we come before him because he is gracious, because he has invited us, because he will give us, not what we deserve, but much, much more and much, much better than we deserve.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Can you think of times in your life when you have cried out to God for mercy? What happened? Why do you think we are so often inclined to think that our prayers are based on our own worthiness rather than God’s mercy? If you really believed that God was rich in mercy, how might you pray today?

PRAYER: Gracious and merciful God, how thankful I am that you are indeed merciful…full of mercy. How thankful I am that I can approach you, not on the basis of my worthiness, but in response to your grace. How grateful I am that you invite me to approach your throne with confidence, even boldness, because I can count on your mercy. Amazing!

Help me, dear Lord, to trust in your mercy. Help me to rely on you and your grace. Help me to live today in light of your mercy. And may I therefore be merciful to others. Amen.

Taken From Lord, Have Mercy! Inspiration from The High Calling
July 1, 2012 By Mark D. Roberts

Here is a link to listen to a song sang by Scott Castleberry. I ran across him on Facebook and wanted to share his beautiful voice.

Click Here: Scott Castleberry: Mercy Walked In