WEDNESDAY August 23, 2023
A Mission of Mercy
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Acts 16:33-34
The keeper of the jail quietly took Paul and Silas to his home. He was not supposed to, but with Christ now in his heart, he turned around in mercy and ministered to Paul and Silas. Showing mercy, he took care of their stripes. In kindness and with a desire to help, he washed them. Before returning them to jail, he graciously gave them food to eat, clothed them, and took care of their needs.
Then in the middle of the night, the family was baptized. What do you think the authorities would say the next morning if they found out the man they made responsible for watching over the prisoners had become saved and was cleansing Paul and Silas’s wounds? The jailer was not a bit concerned. It was more important to him to show mercy to those who had been vessels of God’s mercy to him.
God’s character is mercy, and He is merciful toward us. He has provided a way through Christ for men to be saved. In Ephesians 2:4-5, we see the richness of His mercy:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)....
God’s plan to save sinners is simply stated in this well-known Scripture, John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Do you need God’s mercy today?
The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
