Mercy Moves
"Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful" - Luke 6:36
There is a big difference between noticing something and doing something about it. In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story where three men saw the same wounded man lying on the road. The priest saw him. The Levite saw him. The Samaritan saw him too. But only one of them acted. Only one responded with mercy.
That word matters. Mercy is not just a feeling. It is not just sympathy or pity. Mercy moves. It sees pain and steps toward it. It sees a need and does something about it. Mercy is what happens when mindfulness turns into action.
We live in a world full of need. You do not have to look far to find someone who is struggling, hurting, or barely hanging on. But seeing the need is not enough. Everyone in the story saw the man. Two walked by. Only one got involved.
It is easy to feel spiritual for noticing. But Jesus never asked us just to observe. He calls us to respond. To step in. To pour out. To give what we can. Not out of guilt, but out of the same mercy that He has shown us.
You may not have the answer to every problem. You may not be able to fix everything that is broken. But you can be someone who acts when others only observe. You can be someone who chooses to care, even when it costs you something.
Mercy is not about convenience. It rarely shows up when it fits your schedule. But it is always part of the life Jesus calls us to. When He said, “Go and do the same,” He was talking about more than awareness. He was talking about movement, action, and obedience. And that kind of life always reflects the heart of the Father.
There is a big difference between noticing something and doing something about it. In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story where three men saw the same wounded man lying on the road. The priest saw him. The Levite saw him. The Samaritan saw him too. But only one of them acted. Only one responded with mercy.
That word matters. Mercy is not just a feeling. It is not just sympathy or pity. Mercy moves. It sees pain and steps toward it. It sees a need and does something about it. Mercy is what happens when mindfulness turns into action.
We live in a world full of need. You do not have to look far to find someone who is struggling, hurting, or barely hanging on. But seeing the need is not enough. Everyone in the story saw the man. Two walked by. Only one got involved.
It is easy to feel spiritual for noticing. But Jesus never asked us just to observe. He calls us to respond. To step in. To pour out. To give what we can. Not out of guilt, but out of the same mercy that He has shown us.
You may not have the answer to every problem. You may not be able to fix everything that is broken. But you can be someone who acts when others only observe. You can be someone who chooses to care, even when it costs you something.
Mercy is not about convenience. It rarely shows up when it fits your schedule. But it is always part of the life Jesus calls us to. When He said, “Go and do the same,” He was talking about more than awareness. He was talking about movement, action, and obedience. And that kind of life always reflects the heart of the Father.
Subscribe Now for Daily Devotionals
Recent
Archive
2025
July
What Are You Hiding From?Where Worry GrowsWhere Security Really Comes FromChange What You’re Looking AtAnswer the Right QuestionsWhere Are You Looking?Go to the Right WellLet Go of the GripQuit Trying to Outmuscle WorryRunning on EmptyWhen “Lord” is Just a WordDig Deeper Before the StormWhen the Work Feels Too HardThe Slow Work That LastsWhat Were You ThinkingDo You Trust Him?Not Everything Sweet is SafeSay It or Show ItMore Than a NameThe Weight Behind the WordsThe Cost of CommitmentMore Than Good IntentionsThe Neighbor You’re BecomingWhat Are You Known ForSlow Down and See ThemEyes to See, Time to StopWhat Comes FirstMercy MovesWho Are You Really After?The Right Name, the Wrong HeartPower Matters
August
Living a Life That Makes People Ask WhyWhen Your Life Makes No SenseWhen Normal Isn’t the GoalThe Right Kind of QuestionableWhen Motives Get MisunderstoodThere’s a Bigger Story at WorkWhen They Question Your WhyWhen Your Way Gets QuestionedWhen Obedience Breaks ExpectationsWhose Glory Are You Seeking?When the Cross Seems QuestionableBless Someone TodayA Little Can Bless a LotThe Power in Just Showing UpWhen Obedience Doesn’t Make SenseMore Than EnoughThe Beauty of Broken ThingsProtecting the Wrong ThingThe Danger of Misplaced EffortWhat Are You Trading?The First Trade You Must MakePick Up What Matters MostLet Go to GainThe Cost of the CastleTrade the Gavel for GraceThe Exchange That Changes EverythingThe Bold AskWhat Do You Want?Ask With the Right HeartDesire Isn’t EnoughTotal Dependence
September
The Gospel at the TableKnow Him to Show HimSent People Live Sent LivesConnection at the TableWhen the Word Comes BackSent for a ReasonWhen the Word is FoundThe Power of the TableSent but Still SittingA Table That Changes EverythingOne Day Can Change EverythingWhen Obedience is UncomfortableRunning Never WorksSing AnywayGod RenewsUndeniableThe Power of PresenceThe Word RenewsTime for a Heart CheckWhere Renewal BeginsThe Mind You FeedGod Relates to YouWhen Jesus Comes to the TableUnashamedForged in the OrdinaryLet It Challenge YouHold On Without WaveringThe Narrow DoorGod RescuesUnafraid
No Comments