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" It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63

Wednesday 25 March 2020

The Power of God's Mercy

Hi there 😊 Am very blessed to have been asked to write a guest post for a dear sister in Christ, Cheryl of Homespun Devotions.
For new folks, my name is Shaz in Oz, this is my Christian blog,crafty one here. As many know 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)
Here in Oz we are protected from things a bit, but we also have Covid-19. Not many compared to some countries with 8 deaths (as of 24th Mar). Government like others has restricted entry, public gatherings, state borders closed. More restrictions as the days pass, what I write now, will be out of date tomorrow.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!
*****
Recently 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 that 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.”
and 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 
******
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."
****
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.."
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- hymn link Here also.)
Prayer is a weapon that Satan cowers before!!
Dear sisters, 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!!
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 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.
Pray 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 Women of the Word and Prayer!
*****
And dear precious sisters, as you pray and plead over your burdens, I pray and agree with you. By faith we may met and agree together at "the Throne of Grace, where we find grace to help in time of need." Heb 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 

PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on.
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4 comments:

Anne said...

How humbling that God wants us to be part of what He is doing and what an honour that we can come to Him in prayer. Let this be a season when we, as Christians, can learn to grow in prayer and seeking God more than we have done in the past. Then let us continue to do so after this crisis has passed. Superb post mon amie, merci bien.

Regina said...

Hi Shaz! Thank you again for your post on Homespun Devotions. How are things now in Australia?

Conniecrafter said...

because of all this virus mess my son in law has been laid off, they found out that they were being kicked out of their apartment when their lease was up among other things, we have prayed for the past 2 weeks and God has answered our prayers. Sometimes it takes a long time for a response and sometimes he answers soon, and I am so thankful he answered soon. May our prayers be lifted about this virus and the healing of those that have it.

Sunshine Country said...

Encouraged me, as usual! These are serious thoughts...aren't they...to think of our need of being intercessors for others. Such a thing that is often slighted by many (I myself have been guilty of this in the past) - till the Lord brought Scripture verses to my attention where this is an actual command that we are to to obey. The Lord has graciously has been causing me to see more and more it's great importance. And what a mercy it is, that He would give us this privilege! It has been one thing that has kept me going in some of my hardest times, and when I was tempted to believe that I was not very purposeful or useful to others - the Lord showed me that this, interceding for others, is indeed a useful and purposeful thing that I may take part in, no matter what position I find myself in in life.

Praying you will continue to be encouraged by God's holy and precious Word, and to continue faithfully "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and finisher of our faith"...