Judgment is defined as: a formal decision, an evaluation that culminates in what is justly deserved.
Mercy is defined as: choosing to exercise compassion and forgiveness, overriding judgment that confirms what is (legally) deserved.
Aristotle defined judgment as: "Giving a person what is his or her due."
Mercy on the other hand is a voluntary act...a decision that comes even though judgment gives supportive evidence the situation deserves punishment. Mercy chooses to offer compassion and kindness...in its place.
It is reflective for me to think about this: Darkness says: "It is totally black...and you will not be able to see..you cannot see the path you are on or where you are going."
And then...it happens... Mercy arrives...
A match is struck, a candle is lit, and the light breaks through and says: "There...now you can see...you see the path you are on and where this path is leading."
The power of Light...the power of Mercy....
It was God's mercy when He spoke to Noah and spared both him and his family.
It was judgment that destroyed all the others through the flood.
It was God's mercy that reached out and redeemed the apostle Paul.
It was judgment...that caused Judas Iscariot to take his own life.
It was God's mercy that anointed David as the king of Israel.
It was God's mercy that allowed David and Bathsheba to have a life...and a son named Solomon...even though judgment said David should receive punishment for what he did to Urriah.
God writes about Mercy and Judgment throughout the Sacred Scriptures. Here are a couple Gleanings....that brings Light into the utter Darkness:
A Gleaning from James 2:12-13
" The important thing we need to remember...is this: To allow our actions "speak"...and compliment the words we say to one another.
Our judgments and moral standards are now governed through a new law...the Law of Liberty...which are specific instructions given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And Christ, by giving to each of us His Law of Liberty...opens our eyes, minds, and hearts to a better way of treating others.
For if we choose to act unkind and refuse to show mercy toward others around us now, how can we expect God to grant us kindness and mercy when Judgment comes?
Yet, if we choose to exercise kindness...to freely give mercy to others, we can take great comfort knowing this: God will grant His kindness and mercy to us...every time! Why?
Because of the new Law of Liberty given to by Christ Jesus...proclaims "Mercy wins out over Judgment"...every time! The Mercies of God are stronger than any human law."
" Who can say that God is unjust? For even in the days of Moses...God spoke to Moses saying: " True compassion and mercy does not originate from any human desire, moral standing, human effort, or human emotions...rather...it is I, the Lord who gives mercy...to all!"
For the Sacred Scriptures also point out how the Pharaoh...in the days when the Israelites were to leave Egypt and go to the Promised Land, God spoke directly to the Pharaoh and said: " I have appointed you for the purpose of displaying My power...in dealing with your actions...and it will be My fame that will be proclaimed and remembered here. For you have chosen to harden your heart toward the Israelites...and I will demonstrate My mercy to them."
Showing Mercy...gives Light to those in Darkness...
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