Mercy not law.
Psalms 33:12 (NIV)
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
Israel was established as a theocracy, a nation built on the faithfulness of God. And blessed they were, yet in the end, they fell away. The laws of the nation did reflect the laws of God, but by the time Jesus came around, the religious leaders were more concerned with enforcing the law than loving the people.
A nation must choose to make the Lord their God. Though this can result in laws reflecting the Biblical morality, if enforcing laws of morality outweigh love for people, the nation is not following Christ.
When Christ came, He was despised by the religious leaders because He loved people more than He loved the law. He did the unthinkable by healing on the Sabbath and touching the unclean.
As followers of Christ, we must do our best to follow the Biblical principles of faith to see the abundant life God has for us. And should our focus turn to imposing God’s way on anyone, we forfeit the blessings.
As a nation, when our desire for Biblical law overshadows the love for neighbor, we will not be a nation after God’s heart, but a nation operating in the pharisaical heart. Judgment not mercy will be our motto. Condemnation not forgiveness will be our banner. These do not reflect a Godly nation.
To love God is to love our neighbor, to love the least of these. Christ came and sent the Holy Spirit to influence by love, not force by law. Devotion is never the product of coercion. Whether we are speaking of the nation or our own home. Love is the key to a nation choosing God. If only we invested as much passion into loving our neighbor as we do in political discussion, we might actually become a nation whose heart is set on Go.
And if in our daily walk, love and mercy were our method more than harshness and condescension, we might live a life after God’s own heart. Then we will see sinners turn back to Him, families restored, and a nation blessed.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live a life of mercy not law. Amen.
