What is mercy? The dictionary defines mercy as the compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one's power to punish them.
The word "mercy" derives from the Latin merced or merces. It means "price paid." Mercy appears in the Bible as forgiveness or withholding punishment. God's mercy means His pity, compassion, and kindness toward people. Mercy is forgiveness. Mercy is forgiving the sinner and withholding the punishment that is justly deserved.
The word "door" is used in the Bible over 400 times as a metaphor for opportunities in our lives. Doors are usually thresholds in which we cross over from one kind of place to another. Doors are used as exits and entrances. A door is like a portal, it can leave to almost anything, like a new beginning, a challenge, or an opportunity. A close door can represent a dead end with feelings of no way out or someone is blocking you. There are the revolving doors, like you are moving in circles and not going anywhere. There are times when a door may be slammed in your face. There you feel shut out and ignored.
When God opens a door no one can close it. God is our Doorkeeper! God is sovereign. He is in complete control. God is all-knowing (omniscient) and all-powerful (omnipotent). He knows everything we have done and what we will do, both the good and the bad. "I know you well; you aren't strong, but you have tried to obey and have not denied my Name. Therefore I have opened a door to you that no one can shut" (Revelation 3:8).
Do you know that God has many doors opened for you? One such door is called the Mercy Door. It is an open door that will always remain open. There at the Mercy Door of God is forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Forgiveness is choosing not to hold an offense against someone. Forgiveness is choosing not to keep records nor dwell on the offense. That is what God did for us. How? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our sins is no longer counted against us. Our sin made us guilty, but the guilty receives forgiveness instead of punishment.
There at the Mercy Door of God is compassion. "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). Compassion is feeling sympathy or pity for others. God has given us a powerful promise of compassion. His compassion is not the result of what we do, but because of His boundless love for us.
There at the Mercy Door of God is gentleness. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). Gentleness is the quality of being kind, tender, mildness of temper, sweetness of disposition. God is gentle and He has always been gentle towards us, even in correcting us.
There at the Mercy Door of God is love. "For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are - high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean - nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us" (Romans 8:38-39).
We are an underserving recipient of God's mercy. "The Lord, the Lord, a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7). God gives us His loving mercy. His mercy means His pity, forgiveness, compassion, gentleness, generosity, sympathy, goodwill, love, kindness and so much more. God's mercy tells us who He is, His gentleness, His forgiveness, His endless love for us. Because of our sin nature, we don't deserve His mercy. God displays His goodness through His grace and mercy. God loves us and He spills out His mercy on us as His act of love. God mercy is tender, great, everlasting, manifested, exemplified, sure, plenteous, abundant, and He is rich in His mercy, as He reigns high in heaven while sitting on His mercy-seat. Praise God! Hallelujah!
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