What exactly am I learning? How to be…MERCIFUL
Introduction
For the last several days, Jesus has had me begin in Matthew 5, centering my heart on one word: mercy. He began by leading me back to the Beatitudes—not just to read them but to break them open, word by word. Three of them stood out:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:2)
- Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5: 5)
- Blessed are the merciful (Matthew 5:7)
Jesus prompted me to look carefully at each one. Why? Because in this season, the work He is doing in my heart revolves around mercy. As He reminded me, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13).
Poor in Spirit – The Starting Point of Mercy
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:2)
This is not physical poverty; it is spiritual poverty—a complete awareness of our need and utter reliance on grace. To be poor in spirit is to be spiritually bankrupt. This bankruptcy leaves us spiritually destitute, morally undone, and wholly reliant on the mercy of God.
Jesus starts with our destitution because it is the point and the pivot. Without recognizing our own condition, we cannot receive or extend mercy. Ultimately, the Father shown His mercy to the poor in spirit when the Son of Man came. He granted mercy—to me, to us, to humankind!
Last night, the Father whispered something profound to my heart:
“Child, MERCY is better than sacrifice because MY LOVE brought the very ONE—the Mercy Seat itself—to earth for you.” With this revelation, I have become undone again, seeking His sanctification and His liberation of my mind, my will, my emotions, as well as my spirit.
Meekness – The Quiet Strength of Mercy
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
I’ll be honest: I’ve struggled with this one. For years, I skipped over meekness because I misunderstood it. Meekness is not weakness—it is humility paired with strength under control.
Strength and self control have not always come naturally to me. My fiery personality and highly driven nature have warred against it. However Jesus, in His gentleness, in His wisdom, has been faithful to me. The Holy Spirit has chiseled away at the rough parts of my heart—my pride, my rebellion, my need to always speak. He’s been pruning me in silence and teaching me to listen.
In this season of quiet, I’m learning the discipline of knowing when to speak and when to stay silent. In this season of silence, I’m seeing the fruit: humility, self-control, and the first signs of meekness beginning to bloom.
This morning in prayer, Jesus reminded me:
“What I have always wanted from you is your willingness.”
He has my yes. Chisel away, Lord. Chisel away!
Merciful – Receiving and Reflecting God’s Heart
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
When I recognized my spiritual poverty, Jesus offered me salvation. Then came the reforming of my soul (mind, will, and emotions) followed by the resurrection of my spirit. My spirit man was awakened for the first time!
Job 32:8 (ESV)
But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
In that moment of saving grace, I began to grow into meekness, and now, He is teaching me to walk in mercy. Mercy denotes compassion. Mercy is forgiveness. It means kindness to those who are in need—even when that “someone” is me. I have been called to forgive myself as well as others.
Walking in mercy isn’t a one-time achievement. It’s not a checklist item. The Father’s work in me digs deep and perpetual. He takes His time with the restoration, the healing, the preparing. It’s a lifelong deep dive into His love. There will always be someone to forgive. He will always give revelations of repentance so that I always understand that I am a heart in need of compassion because He ushers me into a call to extend what has been so freely given to me.
Reflection
I am still very much a work in progress. With Jesus careful teaching and urging, I now understand that these Beatitudes are not separate ideals to strive for—they are a sequence of surrender. Hallelujah!! I needed mercy. I still need mercy. And now, having received it, Jesus is calling me to live it. To walk out mercy in my every day life–second by second BECAUSE…
Mercy is better than sacrifice. Mercy is the nature of our King.
And in this season, my prayer is simple:
Make me merciful, Lord because You have been so merciful to me.
🌿 This Is Just the Beginning…
This blog post marks the first installment in a new blog series the Lord has laid on my heart—a journey into mercy. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing what the Holy Spirit continues to reveal about this life-altering, heart-reforming word that has so gripped me: MERCY.
The more I study it, the more I realize that mercy is not a soft virtue. It’s a holy confrontation—a mirror held up by Jesus that shows us where we stand and how far His love is willing to go to meet us there.
🙏 A Personal Challenge to You, Reader:
As you meditate on the Beatitudes and reflect on the mercy you’ve received, I challenge you to:
- Pray sincerely: Ask the Lord to show you the areas of your life where you are still resisting the mercy meant to flow through you—not just to you.
- Fast, if the Savior leads you: There is a deep refining that comes with fasting. Let it be a time of silencing the flesh so the spirit man can hear clearly.
- Be honest with yourself and with God: No more lying to the spirit man. No more pretending everything is fine when the Spirit is whispering, “Let Me prune you.”
Let the Vinedresser do His work.
Remain abiding in the Vine, and trust that every cut He makes is to bring more fruit, more freedom, and more mercy into your life.
Jesus desires mercy—not sacrifice, and He desires your heart—not your perfection.
He has mine.
Does He have yours?
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