A Cry for Mercy

‘Let the groaning of the prisoner come before you; according to the greatness of your power  preserve those who are appointed to die’ (Psalm 79: 11).

  

God’s instruction to Israel for the building of the Tabernacle was that, the Mercy Seat be placed on the Ark of the Covenant. One may wonder why the Mercy Seat was situated on the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets of the law, in addition to Aaron’s Rod and the Golden Jar of Manna. The lesson here is that, God’s mercy is higher than the law. It is said that, among the attributes of God, although they are all equal, mercy shines with even more brilliancy than justice. ‘Deliverances from trouble are mercies indeed, when grounded upon the pardon of sin. We should therefore be more earnest in prayer for the removal of our sins than for the removal of afflictions. (Matthew Henry).

The nation of Israel went into captivity in Babylon as a result of their sins. Jerusalem was made a heap of ruins, and God’s holy temple defiled. Many were killed and their dead bodies were left as food for the birds of the air and wild animals (Psalm 79:1-3).  All this happened after they had turned on a deaf ear to numerous warnings from God. Finally, in captivity they cried unto God for deliverance. ‘He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy (Prov 29:1). How sad it is, that sometimes the children of God wait until sin robs us of all our dignity and blessings before we return to God.

The Good News is our God who is full of mercy delivers us when we sincerely repent and turn back to Him. Mercy is defined as a compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power. Grace is what God gives us when we don't deserve and mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve. The devil may be condemning you, that there remains no forgiveness of sin for you. But remember, “as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion... But the key is repentance. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The proud do not receive God’s mercy but those who humble themselves and acknowledge their sins (Psalms 103:13, Isaiah 30:18, 1 John 1:9, Luke 18:13-14).

Today, as you repent and genuinely confess you sins, may you receive a presidential pardon from God. The blood of Christ has the efficacy to cleanse any and every sin. No matter your past sins, may your groaning go before God and may His great power preserve you, destroying any appointment with death, that  the devil has placed over your life. Finally, may you receive the God’s grace to pursue righteousness.

Is there no Balm in Gilead

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? (Jeremiah 8:22).

‘The balm was a resin from the Styrax tree produced especially in the Transjordan region and widely used for medicinal purposes’ (Oxford Annotated Bible). In times of sickness, many believers ask themselves ‘Lord why’? The disciples of Jesus once questioned Jesus about the cause of an individual’s sickness, whether it was his personal sins or the sins of his parents that had caused his blindness. The master’s answer was, ‘neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him’ (John 9:3).

God sometimes allows troubles including sicknesses into the lives of His children, in order that we may seek Him more and give Him an opportunity to reveal His glory through our lives (Judges 3:1,2). A careful study of the book of Job reveals that, it was God who initiated the conversation about job. His question to the devil was ‘have you considered my servant Job’ (Job 1:8)? After all his trials, Job came out knowing God better and growing in his faith, not forgetting a double restoration of all he lost. The truth is, God set Job up for a blessing. If you are serving God faithfully, then I have good news for you. Any challenges you are going through is a set up by God to embarrass you with blessings. At the end of the day, God will give you double for your trouble and your healing or deliverance will be like a dream.

Isn’t it fulfilling to know that His promise is I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5)? As a father, God sees and feels your pain, He hears you cry and He knows all the details of your troubles. The word for you today is, stand still and know that He is God, the battle is not yours but the Lords. Hold onto your faithfulness. Healing is God’s children’s bread. He will surely heal you; it’s only a matter of time. But even if He chooses not to heal you in this life, keep on serving Him regardless of the storms. Be like the three Hebrew Children who said we know that the Lord will deliver us but even if he does not, we will not bow down to the ‘devil’ (Dan 3:18). Remember, everyone that is born of God overcomes the world and the key is faith (1 John 5:4, 5).

It is interesting to note that, Jesus always requested faith from all the people He healed. There were times when He also healed people based on the faith of other people that were connected to the sick (Mark 2:5). Without faith God can’t do anything on earth. Faith is man’s response to God’s word, and without God’s word He can do nothing. God is a God of principle who does not go against His word. Faith is that which connects man to the limitless power of God. What are you going through today; do your mountains seem unmovable? The God you serve is greater than the mountain you see. His word is, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can tell this mountain to move and it will. Today is someone’s day of deliverance.

The answer to the question ‘is there no Balm in Gilead’, is ‘Yes, the most excellent in the world. "Is there no physician there?" Yes, persons well skilled to apply it’ (Clarke). Jesus healed all manner of diseases, regardless of their source or location. Healing is definitely part of the package of salvation. You are next in line to receive your miracle.  Release your faith and claim your healing today.  With God all things are possible. Receive your healing in Jesus name, at the mention of the Name Jesus EVERY sickness bows.