Considering God’s Mercy

This week I started reading Luke.  Part way through chapter 1 I decided to take the slow road instead of my typical 3 chapters/day.  I was struck by a few things that day and didn’t want to lose sight of them by thinking I needed to finish the chapter (or 3!). 

What struck me the last 3 days was the focus on mercy in chapter 1.

Zechariah and Elizabeth we aged, and barren.  Reminds you of Abraham and Sarah.  They had hearts for God, walking before Him blamelessly (vs. 6).  Yet, they were still barren.  She bore reproach in the community.  She wasn’t cursed by God, but people looked down on her.

• “Your prayer has been heard.”  They had probably wondered if God had closed up shop.  But God heard the prayer.
• “The Lord has done this for me.  In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”  God removed her misery, showing her mercy.  This prompted me to pray for God to show me mercy by removing my “disgrace among the people.”  He is not ashamed of me, but some people view pastors of failed churches as, well, failures whom they don’t want pastoring their churches lest they fail too.
• When Gabriel revealed the Incarnation to Mary, she was obviously stunned.  Inconceivable!  He informs her that Elizabeth is pregnant.  “For nothing is impossible with God.”  Too often we are subject to low expectations.  Makes sense with people, but not God.  I found Him challenging my own meager faith- “Cavman, do you believe I can do great things for you?  Do you really think such things impossible?”  Sadly, yes.  I don’t want to be one of those people who thinks hardship isn’t God’s plan- but I also don’t want to think life is only hardship, or only hardship where I’m concerned.
• “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”  She no longer resisted the thought, but embraced it.  Faith receives what God says and embraces what He brings to pass.  I want to have this attitude of submission- glad submission.

Mary’s Song contains many references to mercy.

• “He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant”- not her humilty but her humbling circumstances.    Her humility is tied with those circumstances.
• “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”  So abundant is his mercy, there is no time limit but it floods over generations of the faithful.
• “He has .. lifted up the humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things.”  CavWife and I have both found our current circumstances, and recent events humbling.  Yet, we have hope he will lift us up just as he promised.  We have been hungry lately for the cupboard is looking bare- but he will fill us with good things [not junk food!  🙂 ]

“Her neighbors heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.”  God’s mercy is cause for praise- private and public.  People heard and joined her in joy.  That is the great thing about community- a place to share joy just as we shared our pain with them.  Many have come alongside to bear our burden with us- and they will share our joy when God brings the fulness of mercy.

Zechariah’s Song also has a theme of mercy:

• “to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant…”  God is about to keep his covenant in Christ, showing mercy to Zechariah’s fathers.  He is the God of the living, so the departed believers beheld God’s mercy toward their children.  And rejoiced before the throne.  Like the prophets and angels they were waiting … and in the fulness of time God said “Now!”
• “because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”  Tender mercy … out of the darkness a light emerges to direct God’s people.  Great imagery, greater truth found in Christ.

I can’t help but think of Cowper’s hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way:
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

After years of “drought” it is though some dam release has occurred.  I’ve gone months between interviews, and few churches seemed interested.  But in this past month I’ve been pleasantly overwhelmed by the requests by churches for more information and interviews.  Suddenly it is as if the the clouds I dreaded are filled with mercy and about to break with mercies upon our heads.  We’ll see if any of these contacts leads to a new position, but I suspect God is rebuking my meager faith and is now ready to provide a new place by His grace.