Then his lord called him in and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?' His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds. Matthew 18:32–35 WEB.

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone within one's power to punish or harm. It is not punishing them, even though they deserve it, even when they have really earned it, and you now have the power to make them pay for it. It is turning the other cheek when you would like to slap theirs.

Someone once hurt me badly, and I had to forgive them every day for a few years. Anytime the incident came to mind, I prayed and forgave them again. Then one day, it no longer bothered me, and I no longer thought about it. It took a long time. Each time they came to mind, I would say, "Father, I forgive them for what they did." Eventually, it became real, and I no longer comforted myself by thinking of their demise as Esau did with Jacob (Genesis 27:42).

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; throughout the Bible, you read about it. The Lord promises us that if we show mercy, we will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7). It is an incredible promise, and it allows us to choose what will happen to us in the future. So do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Forgiveness does not make you a doormat, and repeat offenders must be dealt with peacefully. Who we allow to be a part of our lives is a choice we make, and being invited into our home is a privilege that can be taken away.

Some people belong on this side of our door, while others should be outside with it locked. Forgiveness does not mean that you are weak. It's a conscious, intelligent choice to recognize that even though someone deserves punishment, so do we.

God Almighty, who created the universe, is all-powerful. He 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 said that we must forgive others or not be forgiven. So keep a clean slate. If you get the chance today to let someone off the hook, gladly do so. For the Lord will reward you by letting you off yours.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I forgive those who have wronged me. I set them free from their debt. I choose to show them mercy today because You told us to. Please forgive me of my sins and set me free from the chains that bind me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.