Two Friends Not To Be Forsaken

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. Proverbs 3:3

This verse tells us to hold on to certain truths, that should in turn radiate from us: mercy and truth.

We tend to crave ‘mercy’ for ourselves but ‘truth’ for others. We easily overlook our own shortcomings but hold others to a very high, even impossible standard. We readily acknowledge our feet are only made of clay, but assume others are made of refined gold or bronze.

Yet God is calling us to a better way.

So let’s look at these powerful twins separately and then together.

Why is mercy so important? A Christian is saved because of the great mercy of God, and the Bible tells us to extend that divine mercy to others. The very fact that it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, should be a powerful reminder to us that every day is a merciful gift of God, but also an opportunity to show that mercy to others.

So what about truth? It is the means of making a person like Jesus Christ: His Word is Truth. It is also the standard by which we are to live before God and others.

Truth is often uncomfortable, unpopular and intrudes into the darkest crevices of our hearts. To know the real truth about ourselves can often be devastating.

But at the very point that truth brings clouds of despair and conviction, the rays of mercy quickly follow! God sends us the truth that we might humbly accept his mercy.

So mercy and truth are in fact inseparable friends. They balance each other out perfectly. God is Truth and He is also Mercy.

So what does that mean for us?

1. Mercy cannot be extended at the expense of truth (personal ministry without a true Gospel witness);
2. The ‘hard, cold truth’ given without mercy, is in fact a distortion of truth (eg personal confrontation without hope);
3. God declares that these twin truths are so important to the spiritual good of His children, that His Word to describes them as needing to be physically attached to a person’s body, and written in the innermost chamber of their personality;
4. A person truly known for these graces, cannot be the ‘real thing’ without the transforming power of Christ;
5. To live out ‘mercy and truth’ will mean death to our selfishness and our love for what is false, or even what is close to the truth;
6. Are you known for your mercy and/or your personal honesty?
7. In conflict, do people expect you to respond fairly and graciously?

As William Arnot wrote in his classic, Studies in Proverbs:-

….‘mercy and truth’. These two, meeting and kissing in the Mediator, constitute the revealed character of God himself; and He desires to see, as it were, a miniature of his own likeness impressed upon his children…..It is only in Christ that we know God……mercy and truth meet in the person and sacrifice of the Son…..

---

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader. If you don't have a feed reader, you can always have these articles delivered to your email inbox every day. Click here to sign up.

Copyright © 2009 InFocus | ElegantBlue is a custom theme by Nathan Rice