Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
One day, Jesus sat down on a mountain to teach the crowd of people who were following him. At the beginning of this message, he taught the Beatitudes. “Beatitudes” is a fancy word for “blessings.” The Beatitudes explain what it means to live as a friend of Jesus, as a child of God! Jesus said, “God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!” Do you know what “mercy” means? It means to show compassion or care for people. It also means to forgive others.
Jesus showed mercy each and every day on earth. He went from place to place and did miracles. He healed people who were hurting. He even fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish because he knew they were hungry and had compassion for them. And even when people weren’t showing him mercy, he showed mercy to them. When the Romans and Jerusalem’s leaders were crucifying him on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who were hurting him.
None of us are as perfect as Jesus. In fact, we all have sinned, and our sin separates us from God. But because God showed mercy on us by sending Jesus to die for our sins, we can be a part of God’s family forever and ever!
Since God was so merciful to us, we should show mercy to others. How can you do that? You can be compassionate and care about how others feel. If someone needs help carrying their books, you can lend a hand. If a little sibling or cousin is upset, you can help them feel better. You can forgive your classmates when they say or do something that hurts you, even before they ask for forgiveness.
This week, think of the mercy Jesus showed to the people he healed and to the crowd of hungry people. Thank him for the compassion he showed you on the cross, and ask for his help to show others mercy each day.