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...for they will be shown mercy. There is a scary lesson in Matthew 18:21-25 that Jesus shares with his disciples. Jesus drives home the lesson that it is an essential part of the Christian faith to show mercy to others. In the parable in Matthew 18, a servant's debt is outright cancelled, a debt that he could never pay back (equivalent to 200,000 years wages) and yet he does not show mercy to a fellow servant who owed him only 3 months wages. The point is that we should be compelled and motivated to show mercy to others because of the mercy that has been showed to us by God. Every sin that we commit towards God in thought, word, or action is a debt of great weight. Like the servant, we could never make restitution for our debt, therefore God "who is rich is mercy" (Ephesians 2:4) gives us a new life so that by this life we can be recipients of his kindness rather than objects of his wrath. I'm glad for his mercy. Who needs your mercy today? Think of the person who has insulted you with words to your face or behind your back. Think of a person that has let you down, think of that person that has betrayed your trust, or the person who has hurt your feelings one way or another. Do you have this person in mind? Now imagine yourself canceling the debt that they owe to you. As we exercise our faith by reflecting God's character in our own life, we find ourselves growing deeper in our awareness of his unending love for us and his delight in us. These are good things! Practice mercy today. PETE

...For Righteousness! God uses the metaphor of food to get his message across in scripture. Have you ever noticed that? Who doesn't understand food? We all need it to survive. Eating is probably the most simple task (other than breathing) that is most critical for our existence. Food is the easiest thing to give if you have a lot of it, and the most beneficial thing to receive if you have none of it. We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To become righteous is to become a new man or women in the image of Christ; this is what we should crave! Righteousness is something that we need that we could never attain on our own, and it is the very thing that Christ is ready to give. Christ offers us a meal that we did nothing to prepare, he offers us food that we did not buy. The feast is prepared for all who are hungry and we are invited to come and be satisfied. Are you hungry? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6). Christ will transform not only the simple cravings of our soul, but the big appetites, the deepest longings of our hearts. In Proverbs 9:1-6, the invitation has been sent out; we need to leave our simple ways behind, stop working for things that do not satisfy, and enter the feast that God has prepared for us. Come, eat, and be satisfied! PETE

Do you ever notice how the big birds never sing the pretty songs? The beautiful songs belong to the little, humble, gentle birds; the canary, the parakeet, the finch. In a similar way, the sweetest songs come from those Christians that are small and humble in their estimation before the Lord. Meekness before the Lord is a quiet submission to God, His Word, and His direction for your life. The characteristic is meekness, and the promise is the best kind of rest; rest for our souls. (See Matthew 11:29-30). It's easy to find temporary rest for a guilty conscience because we compare ourselves to people that we know and we say: "At least I am not as bad as that guy" or "I haven't done any of the really bad sins." The characteristic that God desires that we have is an attitude that does not ignore our sins, no matter how small they are, and come to Him asking for mercy. If we come in this way, we will not be turned away; we will find the best rest, the best peace, the best happiness. I love the story that Jesus tells in Luke 18:9-14, check it out and let me know what you think. PETE