The Power of God's Mercy ~ Guest Post by Shaz in Oz

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."
Deuteronomy 30:15,16

Source

Hi there 😊 I’ve been asked to write a guest post for a very dear sister in Christ, Cheryl of Homespun Devotions.

My name is Shaz in Oz, my Christian blog is HERE, my craft one HERE. I live on east coast of Aust. in NSW, I asked the LORD Jesus to be my Saviour, down by the beach here at Beach Mission, over 50 years ago as a child (full testimony is HERE). 

In Australia we are protected from things a bit, but we also have Covid-19. Not a lot, but it’s gaining. Government like others has restricted entry, number of public gatherings, more restrictions as the days pass. Yes, there are deaths.. what I write now, will be out of date tomorrow.

As I’ve multiple chronic conditions, I’m isolating as much as possible. 

This below is what the Lord laid on my heart to share.

I pray it blesses you, too!

*****

Just yesterday I wrote these words to a friend: 

“Take care sis, praying much you’ll all be kept well. Not looking good for Italy. 

Praying for them and for many nations especially third world nations, pleading the LORD will prove all wrong on duration and severity!

In His great mercy, put a stop as He did in answer to David’s intercession, with the angel of death poised over Jerusalem, when David sinned by numbering the people.

God’s mercy is there for our asking - if we but ask. 

Mind you, we deserve so much worse than He gives us. 

Our sin is so very great. 

Fail so often, fall so far short.”

As I wrote them, I thought upon why we are here as believers! 

Why? 

To be LIGHT and to be INTERCESSORS!

Yes! We are not here for our own good pleasure, but that of our LORD’s.

“... for thou hast created all things, 

and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Rev. 4:11b 

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Let’s look at that story (whole passage look here), sharing key verses.

1 Chronicles 21:2,7-8,13-17,26-27 (also 2 Sam. 24)

"And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.  And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.  And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.  And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord ; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.  So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.  And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.

Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.  And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord ; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.  And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof."

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How great is God’s mercy?

The door of forgiveness and grace is opened by confession and turning from our sin. 

We read of the pleading by David for his poor sheep, he and elders were clothed in sackcloth! 

Repentance.

 David was sorry, truly pleading for mercy. 

As David said:

"Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are His mercies."  I Chronicles 21:13

So God’s mercy was AND is mighty indeed.

When we pray we don’t know what a mighty power we are wielding!

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Prayer is a weapon that Satan cowers before!!

Dear friends, we are in such a time as this "pestilence", as David was, it's for a reason. 

God wants our attention!

Does He have it?

Now we can either:

*worry, fret, stress OR

* rest, trust, pray!!

(See Ps 37:1-8 here)

We need to pray much.. for near and dear ones, to plead for those we love further away. Our great Father God can reach through His power and Spirit, where we never can.

We can pray for  poor nations. I pray over "Maps app" on my phone. As I look close up at locations, where dear ones are my heart is cheered.. 

God is here, AND He is there! 

He is omnipotent,  omnipresent, omniscient!

How often I limit God!

Pray please for poor nations... where if this virus hit the population would be decimated. 😥

Pray primarily for souls there to be saved, for God's pure Light of the Gospel to shine in these dark places, pray that as the Angel of death was stayed over Jerusalem, that the LORD in His great mercy would stay the hand of death upon these poor peoples!

Pray man's predictions in all this will be wrong, and it will be stopped, or weakened in its onslaught: and for medical staff and supplies to be strengthened and extended in God's mercy. 

Pray for our nations, our states, our churches, our leaders to be guided of God, that Satan's power will be bound in Jesus' name.

That there would truly be an awakening of the Spirit of God as there has never been before..

.. a real revival!

Let us fulfill our purpose as servants of the Living God, to be lights brightly burning, and people of the Word and Prayer!

*****

And dear precious ones, as you pray and plead over your burdens, I pray and agree with you. By faith, we may meet and agree together at "the Throne of Grace, where we find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:12

"Prayer is power.

It brings about the Power of the Almighty."

"Fear looks back,

Worry looks around,

FAITH looks up!"

Prayer hugs, 🙏🤗

 Shaz in Oz.x 

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Dear friends, please visit Shaz's blog at Wonderful Words of Life!
She has been such a blessing and encourager to so many, and I know you will find much truth in her heartfelt, anointed posts.
God bless you all and keep you safe and healthy, in Jesus' name!