Tag Archives: mercy

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Mercy Mandate | Bible Gleanings | March 15-16, 2025

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They tugged on his white and bushy leg to rescue him from the narrow trench. It was entirely his fault—the curious sheep dove in head first and got himself in a jam. But when some sympathetic passers-by noticed that he was helpless and hopeless, they gently lifted him up. Once out, he yapped and bleated before landing in the same ditch after another foolish leap. And, the sheep-heroes came to the rescue yet again.

The Lord commands believers to show mercy to others—recognizing their needs and being moved in our hearts to meet them (Micah 6:8; James 2:13). Mercy lifts others up when they are down—even when their struggles are a result of their own foolish and sheeplike choices. This is what Jesus emphasized in the fifth beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the merciful” (Matt. 5:7a). Thus, to be merciful is to be sympathetic and empathetic toward others, not standoffish or indifferent. And mercy challenges our sinful and selfish nature, calling us to gracefully care for needs other than our own.

The opposite of mercy is passing by your half-dead neighbor because you see them as a nuisance or inconvenience, like the merciless priest and Levite (Luke 10:30-32). But, showing mercy means having a broken heart for someone’s brokenness and going the extra mile to meet their needs, just like the Good Samaritan: “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back’” (Luke 10:33-35).

Furthermore, the Lord Jesus has a multitude of mercy for the multitude of man’s problems, as displayed throughout His earthly ministry. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, was patient with the stubborn, forgave the unforgivable, and consoled the bereaved (Matt. 14:14; John 6:1-14; 8:1-11; Luke 7:11-17). And He commands His followers to do the same. Jesus even taught that the Father is the optimum exemplum of mercy that all believers should follow because He is merciful to the merciless, and to those who jump head first into trenches of their own making: “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36).

This column is from 40 Days with Jesus, my 40-day devotional on Christ’s life, teachings, and miracles, available for purchase on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Compassionate Lord | Bible Gleanings – April 15-16, 2023

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The sight was spectacular, the splendor was unfathomable, and the brilliance was blinding. No one had ever witnessed such a stunning spectacle—until John came along. This disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23) beheld the Lord Jesus in all His majesty and magnificence, and described the unforgettable scene like this:

“[I saw] someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Rev. 1:13b-16).

John naturally fainted because of the overwhelming vision and then something fascinating happened. The exalted Lord of glory gently placed His nail-pierced hand on John’s shoulder to comfort him: “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last”” (Rev. 1:17). The holy touched the unholy. The lofty touched the lowly. A sinner felt the Savior’s touch. 

This is because Jesus is both holy and humble. He possesses transcendent glory, but He reaches down to touch fallen humanity, such as when He “dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Lord Jesus is highly exalted in the heavens, but He loves lowly sinners on the earth (Rev. 7:17). He sustains the universe “by the word of His power,” but He cares about sustaining your soul, too (Heb. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:8). His eyes are “too pure to look on evil” (Hab. 1:13), but His eyes are upon you (Psalm 34:15; cf. Rev. 2:2, 19; 3:8). He is the holy God, but He can be touched by sinful hands that reach out to Him in faith (Isa. 43:3; Mark 5:28). 

 Jesus abounds with such gracious compassion for man. Jesus has compassion for those who are hungry like the crowds (Mark 8:2), unclean like the leper (Mark 1:41), lost like Israel (Mark 6:34), sick like the frail (Matt. 14:14), and grieving like the widow (Luke 7:13). Indeed He is, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). He can no more cease having compassion for you than a mother can cease having compassion for her children. As the Lord promised in Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

Do you know the compassionate Lord? Do you bring Him your burdens? Do you come to Him confidently expecting compassion and mercy (Heb. 4:14-16)? Do you run to Him when you are tempted, lean on Him when you are ailed, and seek His guidance when you are lost? O, believer: sing the words of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling in thanksgiving to the Lord of compassion:

“Love divine, all loves excelling,

joy of heav’n, to earth come down,

fix in us thy humble dwelling,

all thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, thou art all compassion,

pure, unbounded love thou art.

Visit us with thy salvation;

enter ev’ry trembling heart.” — Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Other, Practical Helps

Spurgeon on Confidence in God

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Once again, as I was reading Charles Spurgeon’s classic devotional, Morning and Evening, I stumbled upon a theological gold mine that I’d like to share with you:

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.”  (Psalm 138:8)

“Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine confidence. He did not say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which concerneth me—my faith is so steady that it will not stagger—my love is so warm that it will never grow cold—my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it; no, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of ages, our confidence is worse than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion of all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing short of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is He who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates—”You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray.” Ah! yes, we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate our frail vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in despair; but, thanks be to God, He will perfect that which concerneth us, and bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in Him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust.” ¹

I’ve really struggled with giving God my best in my personal life and ministry here lately. I’ve prayed, “Lord, today I’m going to get back with the program,” or “God, I just need to get back to the way things used to be.” Now while I may have good intentions, I was missing the main point the whole time. I am weak, and I always will be. God is strong and He always will be. He just calls me to be confident in Him that He will work through me and give me the strength I need to be fully obedient to Him. God will “perfect that which concerneth me.”

1. Spurgeon, Charles H. Morning and Evening (Scotland, UK: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 304.