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Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. Matthew 18:3235 ESV

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. Basically it is not punishing them, even though they deserve it, even when they have really earned it, and you would really like them to have it. I had to forgive someone who hurt me very bad every day for a few years it seemed. Anytime it came to mind, I forgave them again until one day, it no longer bothered me.

Sitting right on top of the ark of the covenant was the mercy seat (Exodus 25:21). That is where God spoke from. Mercy is a big thing to the Lord and all through out the Bible you read about it. The Lord promises us that if we show mercy, we will in turn be shown mercy (Mat 5:7). What an amazing promise.

God Almighty who created the universe, all powerful, holds our very life in His hands and can take it away instantly. He shows us mercy by forgiving us of our mistakes, but He did say to forgive others or we would not be forgiven. Keep a clean slate. If you get the chance today to let someone off the hook, do so. The Lord will reward you by letting you off yours.