Thursday, July 9, 2026
Bible in a Year: Proverbs 22 | Luke 7
Characteristics of God: He is merciful.
When you think about God, what comes to mind?
Almighty, everlasting, creator, healer, gracious, merciful … the list goes on and on.
According to an AI-generated inquiry, “Many, including Pope John Paul II and St. Thomas Aquinas, have argued that mercy is the greatest attribute, as it is ‘love’s fruit’ in action, reaching out to brokenness.”
God’s merciful nature can be traced to the beginning of time, with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God could have destroyed them, and humanity would never have been born. But instead, he provided them with clothes to cover their shame (Genesis 3:21), promised future redemption (Genesis 3:15), and removed them from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23) to prevent them from living in a sinful state.
Despite their sin, God permitted Adam and Eve to live and populate the earth. And later, when God was heartbroken by the world’s wickedness and decided to destroy it with a flood, he found Noah to be a righteous man and decided to spare him and his family, plus a pair of every animal. In both cases, God withheld punishment, allowing humanity to continue so we could receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
You see, mercy is not getting the punishment that we deserve. And God’s mercy goes beyond not punishing us.
Deuteronomy 4:31
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.”
Although Moses wrote this verse to the new generation of Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land, it’s still relevant today. Moses is reassuring all of us about God’s constant love, and reminding us that God’s promises are reliable.
Even when we fail, our merciful God welcomes us back into a loving relationship. Even when we continuously disobey and abandon him, God will never abandon us or stop pursuing our hearts.
God’s mercy is a gift, not something we could ever earn. It is freely given to all of us as an invitation to live transformed lives, responding with gratitude, purpose, and a willingness to say “yes” to wherever he leads next.
Questions:
Has God extended mercy to you when you didn’t deserve it?
Who can you extend mercy to by forgiving them for hurting you instead of seeking revenge?
Next Steps:
If you want to dig deeper on this topic, check out gotquestions.org to find out: What does it mean that God is merciful?
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I confess my sins and ask for mercy. Thank you for the sacrificial death of your Son as the ultimate gift of mercy. Help me to extend mercy to those who have wronged me. Guide me on how to replace resentment with compassion. I love my Lord, and it’s in his name that I pray. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Jeremiah 9:23-24a
This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord….”
Written by Jenn Macke, a Findlay attendee and regular contributor to the Daily.