Devotion Corner

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them upon thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Speaking and living in a merciful manner can be done quite easily if truth is avoided. However, if mercy is given without the application of truth, the mercy being extended is not understood and is easily abused/forgotten. Take for example the naughty schoolchild who is given extra playtimes even though their behaviour has not warranted it, all because the staff are trying to be merciful to what they believe, is a struggling child. Their mercy, no matter how well intended, is lost on the child as they are not being shown the truth that their bad behaviour is wrong and needing of correction. 

What that child needs is mercy and truth, delivered from a full heart. That would be a disciplining of the naughty child over their poor behaviour, and an explanation to that child why their behaviour is wrong and must be corrected. The child is to be taught the truth that the correction given now, is merciful in that it can stop them from going on to worse behaviours and therefore greater punishments, ones that they won’t be able to avoid.

We are to live in application of both mercy and truth, and have them worn with delight, like a lady wears her beloved’s locket upon her neck. We are to have the living of both mercy and truth in unison carved deeply into our very hearts, so that our manner breathes these traits of our precious Lord. If we struggle to understand how we can apply such weighty concepts into our daily life, let’s simply look at our Saviour Christ Jesus. For it is written that He found favour and good understanding with both God and man (Luke 2:52). As always then, we have our teacher and our guide in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s seek to know Him deeper and follow Him closer each passing day. Amen.