One of the ways in which we show mercy to others is through our generosity in giving to them something of what God has given to us, in order to ease their burden during their time of need. We have already seen several passages in both the Old and New Testaments that speak of the blessings promised to the righteous who give generously of the resources that God has given to them for the benefit of the poor and needy. In Psalm 112 we find yet another of these passages. Beginning in verse 4 we read:
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries. He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor. (Psalm 112:4-9)
The word “horn” in verse 9 is symbolic of dignity, so a paraphrasing of the last part of verse nine could accurately be rendered as “his dignity will be exalted in honor.” The psalmist told of the blessings that God will give to
the righteous who are gracious and compassionate, who are generous and lend freely, and who have “given freely to the poor”.
The righteous man in Old Testament times looked for the coming of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. He strove to obey God according to the directives and teachings given in the Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets.
Today the righteous man is the believer in Christ. This promise of God’s blessing given to His people here in the Old Testament, in return for their mercy shown to those in need, is a promise that is also ours today as believers, as spiritual Israel. Ours as well is the wealth of blessings and promises that God has provided for His people through the writings of the New Testament authors.
As God’s righteous people who have been brought to faith in Christ, we will be generous in many ways as the love of God manifests itself through our actions, bearing witness to our genuine faith (James 2:14-26). Our hearts will be steadfast, secure and ultimately without fear because we trust in God and in the truth and faithfulness of His word.
God gave us this promise through the psalmist’s words: “Light arises in the darkness for the upright” (Psalm 112:4). This is God’s promise for the righteous, who are gracious and compassionate, lending their resources to help meet the needs of those who are in distress.
Though darkness and trouble persist for a time in the lives of the righteous, light will dawn in the midst of our present darkness, and good will come to those who are generous. Therefore, let us remember to show mercy to others by giving to them something of what God has given to us in order to ease their burden, so that we may receive God’s promise of mercy and the dawning of light in the midst of our own times of darkness.
The righteous man shows mercy when he gives, and as Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7).
When we show mercy by our generosity to others, we in return are promised God’s mercy when we find ourselves facing our own times of trouble. This is God’s promise for those who show mercy.