But God

Ephesians 2:4: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”

Many have observed that the whole gospel is contained in these 2 simple words: “but God.” All of humanity was dead, bound, chained, and shackled in prison, “but God.” We notice that it is God who authored, initiated, reached out, and won our salvation.

These 2 words appear together 42 times in Scripture, and 17 of those times are in the Apostle Paul’s letters. Here are a few that get our attention: “but God had mercy (Phil. 2:27); but God is faithful (1 Cor. 10:13); but God gave the increase (1 Cor. 3:6); but God has chosen the foolish things (1 Cor. 1:27); but God raised him from the dead (Acts 13:30); but God was with him (Acts 7:9).” There is no other more powerful conjunction in all of Scripture. These 2 words will carry us up any steep mountain, take us safely across any raging river, and transport us securely through any dark, deep valley in our journey called life. Paul says it is because God Himself is “rich in mercy.” Those who have even an ounce of spiritual sensitivity cry out to God Almighty for mercy.

The Hebrew word for mercy, checed, means “to get inside someone’s skin,” to look at their view of life and feel what they are experiencing. Mercy is the foundation of the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25–37. The Samaritan handed out mercy by seeing the bruised and beaten man laying on the side of the road, and actually doing something to help him. After telling the story, Jesus asked, “Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” The man who raised the question replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then, Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” When we give out mercy, it not only identifies us with the hurting but with God the Father too.

“LORD, we want to receive mercy from You as well as give it to others this day, in Jesus name.”