Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (KJV)

It is a good thing that the mercy and grace of our Lord is without bounds. It is also a good thing that we are made in the image of God. When people extend that mercy and grace to us, a small part of heaven is brought to earth.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind. He said that the second greatest is to love our neighbor. He went on to say that all the other commandments are built on those two.

Isaiah said (referring to the Messiah), “He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace.”

I think we can all understand that mercy and grace, whether from on high, or coming from someone in our life, brings us some peace. However, there is another facet to mercy.

There is a rather obscure and somewhat odd movie called, The Peaceful Warrior. In the movie, a character played by Nick Nolte calls himself a peaceful warrior. He is a peaceful warrior because the battle is within. One of the most difficult conflicts within is love. He says, “Those who are the hardest to love need it the most.” I believe this to be most certainly true.

When we receive mercy, we receive an amount of peace. When we can give mercy, our inner peace goes deeper.

I am incredibly grateful for the mercy God has shown me and for the mercy others have shown me, especially when I didn’t deserve it. It seems that I should also make an effort to show mercy.