Weekly Devotion September 28, 2025

Living with Grace and Mercy

As we continue our sermon series in James, I am confronted with thinking about the day of judgment. We will one day stand before God and have to own up to the many times we have been judgmental, indifferent, angry, held a grudge, and not shown mercy. James 2:13 is both a warning and a promise: “Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment”.

This means the way we treat people now, while we are here on earth, matters. In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy”. When we choose to show grace and mercy to others, especially when they don’t deserve it, we are planting seeds for how we will receive God’s mercy on the day of judgment.

But if I am honest, that is not always easy. Sometimes people hurt us, misunderstand us, gossip about us, or push our buttons to the maximum. Other times, it’s even harder: when people who know God’s word act in hypocritical or unkind ways. It makes me want to judge them more harshly, but even in those moments, I am reminded that God showed me the ultimate mercy by dying on the cross for me to live with Him eternally. In Luke 6:36, we are called to mercy: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”.

It is important to remember that Jesus also dealt with hypocritical religious leaders. He challenged their actions but never stopped inviting them to repent. That shows us that mercy doesn’t mean ignoring sin; it means leaving judgment in God’s hands, while we continue to act with patience, forgiveness, and love. “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

So how do we live this out day to day? It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be choosing to forgive when someone doesn’t apologize. It is being kind when someone is rude. It’s refusing to gossip when you see hypocrisy, but instead praying for God to soften their heart. Every time we show grace and mercy, we reflect God’s heart to the world, and we prepare ourselves to stand before Him, confident in His mercy.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the endless grace and mercy You’ve given us through Jesus. Help us to remember that as we face people who are hard to love, even those who should know better. Teach us to forgive, to be patient, and to show mercy, so that we may one day stand before You and hear, “Well done.” Amen.

Written by
Jodi Dyck