Speaker 1: Most of us eat every day, some of us too much,
because yesterday's food is not enough to supply energy for
today's needs. Why then, do some of us expect yesterday's
portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going
to change all of that. Let's experience God's words today
and receive the power we need to live healthy, vibrant lives.
Welcome to Your Daily Portion with your host, author speaker,
Elle David Harris.
Speaker 2: Good morning, good morning, Good morning. It is Friday, January
thirty one, twenty twenty five. Hello, my name is El
David Harris. I am your host, and this is your
Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day,
and today is no exception. We are continuing in our
lesson study series, God's Love and Justice. Our caption for
today is mercy. Mercy one word, but so much importance. Mercy.
Have you ever decerned that you needed mercy. We'll get
into that in just a moment, but first I like
to say welcome to you and ask you to please
go over to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join
our online community. Please pick up the Your Daily Portion
companion guide for this quarter's lesson. And I have said
to you before that this is really a test. It's
our second quarter doing it, and if it is successful enough,
we'll continue. Otherwise we won't, So just go ahead and
pick that up. And also please let us know where
you are in the world at your Daily Portion dot com.
This is one of the ways that we continue to
build faith and fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray and
then we will get underway. Father and Heaven, Thank you
for giving us this new day and for the opportunity
you have given to us to pray. Thank you for
giving us mercy that is unmerited. We are thankful that
we don't have to try to earn it from you,
because we would come up short. Father, Please give us
the fullness of your holy spirit today. In Jesus' name,
I pray, Amen and a man again. Okay, So I'm
going to begin this discussion by reading from the book
Patriarchs and Prophets, beginning at page three hundred and twenty
four three hundred twenty four, and it reads the Israelites
had been guilty of treason and that against the king
who loaded them with the benefits and whose authority, they
had voluntarily pledged themselves to obey. I want you to remember,
this is a time when the people of God, as
Moses was on the mount with God in the cloud,
and of course the people are saying, whatever the Lord
says that we will do. And so there is this
interaction now between God and Moses to the people, and
from the people to Moses to God. And now in
this reality they are saying, God, we promise to do
whatever you say. Whatever you say, that's what we're gonna do. Well, okay,
it's not working out like these guys. It's not actually funny,
but it's it's I'm incredulous, like it's the people created
a golden calf for false worship. While they're saying, on
the other hand, whatever you say, that's what we're going
to do, and so and so we continue they pledge
themselves to obey, that the divine government might be maintained,
justice might be visited upon the traitors. Yet even more
God's mercy was displayed. While he maintained his law. He
granted freedom of choice and opportunity for repentance to all,
only those who were cut off, who persisted in rebellion.
Did you get that only those were cut off who
persisted in rebellion. It was necessary that this sin should
be punished as a testimony to surrounding nations of God's
displeasure against idolatry. By executing justice upon the guilty, Moses,
as God's instrument, must leave on record or solemn and
public protest against their crime. As the people of God
should hereafter condemn the idolatry of the neighboring tribes. Their
enemies would throw back upon them the charge that the
people who claimed Jehovah as their God made a cold
a golden calf and worshiped it at harrip. Okay, so
I'm just going to stop there with that reading. Listen, listen,
listen very closely. There are people who need to know God.
They're all around us. We go to the gym with them,
we work with them. Sometimes we are in public transportation
with them. Some may even wash our vehicles or something
like that. Like, we are interacting with people who need
God who do not have a connection with Him every
single day. And there is one thing that is detestable.
That is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy. And so if on the one hand,
I say that I love God, and I am assisting
in a particular key area in someone's life. And if
they look into my life and see that I am
as guilty as they are in the particular sin, then
how in the world can I guide them into a
relationship with God when I have not even allowed God
to transform my life. You see where this is going.
And so what God wants us to do is not
take his mercy for granted. How many of you know
that when God gives us mercy, it is so that
we can yield our will to him. It's not so
that we can go over and over and over in
the same areas that we have turned away from Him.
What have I done in disrespect to love for God?
In terms of my relationships? Are there ways that I
relate to my spouse me and my case my wife?
Are there ways that I relate to my son our
children that displease God while He's giving us mercy, while
He is causing the sun to rise and to set
in our lives and giving us food, water, clothing, shelter.
Is there anything in my spiritual life, my personal life,
my professional life that is saying, you know what, God,
I don't really care about your mercy. We need to
be honest with this, and let's go for a personal
application right out of our Companion Guide. Like I said,
get it at your Daily Portion dot Com Page eighty
four Personal applica well eighty three personal application. Do w
what is important now in our own lives? Balancing justice
and mercy can be difficult. We must seek to uphold
what is right while being compassionate and forgiving. I internalize
the insight. Think about a situation where you feel someone
deserves punishment or a consequence. Consider how you can extend
mercy while still addressing the issue. Ooh, that's a big one.
Reflecting God's approach to justice and mercy. There's something that
we say, or they say over in the United States
of America. You do the crime, you do the time,
And yeah, I agree with that, But there are times
that people have done crimes underdue rest. There are times
that people have committed wrongdoings because they were in some
way pressed in a way that we don't yet understand.
And I'm not saying it's an excuse, but it is
a reason. And so when we do see that justice
must be meeted out. There are people that God has
placed on planet Earth. Are you one of those people,
people that God has placed on planet Earth to help
those who are rightfully serving for the punishment for the
crimes that they have committed. They're people who reach out
in mercy, people who give them things that they need
even though they're doing their time. Like people don't cease
being human when they have to do the time for
the crime. We have to have compassion and mercy. We
have to see them as God's created children. I wish
I had the time and let's go with n The
next best move this week practice showing mercy in a
situation where you would normally be strict. Whether it's with yourself,
did you get that part with yourself or others? Choose
to focus on grace and understanding, allowing room for growth
and repentance. It is true all of us need mercy.
It is true that there are things that we do
sometimes that require consequences. But the truth beyond that is
God is full of mercy, and therefore we also need
to be merciful. Peace.
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us listening. Friends, Always remember we cannot
live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God. This has been your daily
portion with el David Harris, make it a great day. Yeah,