When the Lord Arises to Show Mercy

This message is for anyone feeling weak, distressed, lonely, or emotionally exhausted. Through Psalm 102:13–22, 1 Peter 2:9–10, and Romans 9:23–24, we see what happens when the Lord arises to show mercy and why mercy is not only something we receive, but part of our identity in Christ. Be encouraged to rise from the place of shame, pressure, or discouragement and live as a vessel of mercy.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

The Lord arises before you the Lord only He renews delivers and turns broken places into testimonies of His glory. Good morning and welcome to this expression of igniting your day. This morning, I believe this message is for someone who feels weak, distressed, lonely, and emotionally exhausted. Maybe you have run out of options where you are and you do not know what to do anymore. Maybe you have tried everything you know, but nothing seems to bring results. Maybe you feel as if you have remained on the same level for a long time with no noticeable change happening in your life. For someone, it may even feel as though you have become still, like stagnant water that has not been renewed for a long time. Whatever your situation may be, I believe the Lord wants you to understand what happens whenever he arises to show mercy. It may look like one act from the Lord, it may look like one moment of divine mercy, but when the Lord arises to show mercy, many things begin to happen at once. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there will be renewal, there will be restoration, there will be manifestation, there will be answers, there will be testimonies, there will be attention from heaven, there will be freedom, there will be deliverance, people will praise God in your space again, and people will gather to serve the Lord in your space again. You may not be able to imagine in totality how different your present situation will become when the Lord arises to show you mercy. When the Lord arises over a life, it becomes a different world entirely. It becomes a different life entirely. You may ask, how do we know these things? Let's look at Psalm 102 verse 13 to 22. You see, many times we are satisfied with reading Psalm 102 verse 13, but we do not pay close attention to what follows after verse 13. Verse 13 tells us that the Lord will arise and have mercy on Zion because the set time to favor her has come. But the verses that follow show us what happens after the Lord arises to show mercy. The Lord wants us to see that this morning. Now let's read. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven did the Lord behold the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to lose those who are appointed to death, to declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem. When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve the Lord. The Bible says, For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof. That means what once looked broken, abandoned, and forgotten begins to receive affection again. The stones and the dust of Zion become precious again. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there is restoration. The Bible says, when the Lord shall build up Zion, God does not only comfort Zion, he builds her up. Mercy does not only make you feel better, mercy rebuilds what was broken. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there is a manifestation of his glory. The Bible says he shall appear in his glory. When God begins to rebuild, his glory becomes visible. His mercy becomes a revelation of his greatness. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there are answers to prayers. The Bible says he will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer. The prayer that seemed ignored is not despised. The prayer of the helpless receives divine attention. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there are testimonies. The Bible says this shall be written for the generations to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. That means the Lord can do something in your life that becomes a testimony for generations yet to come. People who were not even present in your season of pain will praise God because of what he did in your life. When the Lord arises to show mercy, you gain attention from heaven. The Bible says, For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven. Did the Lord behold the earth? God is not distant from your condition. Heaven looks into the affairs of the earth. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there is freedom for prisoners. The scripture says, To hear the groaning of the prisoners. God hears the groaning of those who are bound. When he arises in mercy, captivity begins to break. When the Lord arises to show mercy, there is deliverance. The Bible says he comes to lose those that are appointed to death. Mercy can overturn what looked final. Mercy can release those who seemed marked for destruction. When the Lord arises to show mercy, people will praise God in your space again. The scripture says to declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem. Praise returns to the place where pain had taken over. And when the Lord arises to show mercy, people will gather to serve the Lord. The Bible says, when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve the Lord. Friends, restoration becomes bigger than one person. Mercy becomes a testimony that gathers people into the service of God. So when the Lord arises to show mercy, there is renewal, restoration, manifestation, answers, testimonies, attention from heaven, freedom, deliverance, restored praise, and a gathering unto the Lord. Now that you have heard this, you may want to begin to pray immediately, Lord, show me mercy. But before you pray that, I want you to hold on for a moment. I know that mercy is not given because anybody deserves it. At least that's what the Bible says in Romans chapter 9, verse 15 to 16. The Bible says, For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Friends, people do not receive mercy because they deserve it. Mercy is not a wage, mercy is not a payment, mercy is not something we earn by human effort. But for us who have a life in Christ, for us who live in Christ, mercy is not what we beg for as strangers, mercy is part of our identity. Let me say that again. For those who have life in Christ, for those who live in Christ, mercy is not what we beg for. Mercy is not what we use victimhood to demand. Mercy is part of our identity. That means I am an embodiment of mercy, I am a vessel of mercy. I carry and convey mercy everywhere I go. My appearance anywhere can be God showing mercy to the people I show up for. I am a God-made emblem of mercy. And I know that the intelligent and inquisitive you may ask, can you show me this thing you are saying in scripture? Yes. Let us read 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9 and 10. Many times we stop at verse 9, but we must read verse 9 and verse 10 together today. Mercy, friends, is part of our identity. I read, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Friends, you were once not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy. That means mercy is part of your new identity in Christ. And therefore I say boldly, I am an embodiment of mercy, I am a vessel of mercy, I carry mercy, I convey mercy everywhere I go. I do not make myself a victim so that I can appear deserving of mercy. No, I have obtained mercy. Mercy speaks over my life. If I come to your house, it is God showing you mercy. If I say hello to you, it is God showing you mercy. If I pray with you, it is God showing you mercy. If I walk with you, it is mercy holding your hand. When I show up, mercy shows up. This is not only true for me, this is also true for you. As long as you have yielded yourself to the Lord, you are a vehicle of mercy, you are a vessel through which mercy flows. And in the mouth of two or three witnesses, a truth is established. So let us look at Romans chapter 9, verse 23 to 24 as well. The Bible says, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory, even us whom he hath called, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. Friends, this passage calls you, this passage calls me vessels of mercy. It also tells us that this is not limited by background, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. It does not matter where you come from, in Christ, you are a vessel of mercy prepared beforehand for glory. So I say again, mercy is part of your identity. Mercy is part of my identity. If at the beginning of this message you were feeling exasperated, you were feeling weak, you were feeling distressed, you were feeling lowly, you were feeling emotionally exhausted. I am telling you now, get up from where you are and receive a new orientation. You are not a victim, you are the conveyor of mercy God has chosen for this age. You are the communicator of mercy that people around you may be waiting for. Step out of that cocoon of shame, step out of that cocoon of depression, step out from that place of pressure. You are the one the Lord is sending to show mercy. Your emergence is the emergence of mercy to the people you show up for. Yes, you are going to declare this after me this morning. Since I know that mercy is part of my identity, I declare that I am a vessel of mercy in Christ Jesus. I am not rejected, I am not forgotten, I am not abandoned, I have obtained mercy, and mercy speaks over my life. The mercy of God is part of my identity. I do not approach God as a stranger begging for attention. I come as a child who has received mercy through Christ. Because the Lord is rich in mercy, I am helped in my weakness. I am restored from brokenness and lifted out of every place of shame. When the Lord arises over my life, mercy answers. When the Lord arises over my life, mercy answers. Ruins are rebuilt. Prayers are heard. Captives are released. God's glory is revealed. In the name of Jesus, I declare that mercy goes ahead of me. Mercy speaks for me. Mercy restores me. Mercy establishes me in the purpose of God. I am not merely looking for mercy. I am the one who has obtained mercy. In Christ, I am God's beloved. I am helped by God. I am restored by God. I am God's vessel of mercy. Where I go, mercy shows up. My emergence is God showing mercy to the people I am sent to. Hallelujah. Friends, when God arises to show mercy, there is renewal, there is restoration, there is manifestation, there are answers, there are testimonies, there is attention from heaven, there is freedom for prisoners, there is deliverance. People will praise God in your space again, and people will gather to serve the Lord. Mercy is not what I beg for as a stranger. Mercy is part of my identity. Mercy is part of your identity. Mercy is part of our identity as those who have been united with Christ. My dear friends, take a moment today to speak this declaration over your life. I am not a victim, I am a vessel of mercy in Christ Jesus. And where God sends me, mercy shows up. I am wishing you this money and I'm losing the head. God bless you.