“It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.”
— Romans 9 : 16 KJV

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Mercy: The Beating Heart of God

Mercy is not a divine afterthought; it is God’s first language.
When He revealed Himself to Moses, He did not begin with power or judgment but with compassion:

“The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exodus 34 : 6)

Mercy is the atmosphere of God’s dealings with humanity. It is the bridge between man’s failure and God’s faithfulness. Every covenant, every revival, every fresh start in Scripture was sponsored by mercy.

Rev. Olusola Areogun, in Understanding the Mercy of God, explains that mercy is “God’s intentional decision to include a person where the law would have excluded him.” It is the divine policy of inclusion.

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Mercy Includes Where Law Excludes

Law says, “You disobeyed; you are disqualified.”
Mercy says, “You failed, but I will restore.”

That is what happened to David—the king who fell yet found forgiveness. It is what restored Peter—the disciple who denied yet was recommissioned. Mercy rewrites the ending without denying the truth of the story.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy… He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”
— Psalm 103 : 8-10

When mercy speaks, judgment bows.

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The Manifestations of Mercy

Mercy is not an abstract emotion; it shows up in the lives of men. Scripture reveals repeated manifestations of mercy in different dimensions:

1. Divine Multiplication

Jacob said, “With my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two bands” (Genesis 32 : 10).
Mercy multiplies what was once meager; it duplicates possibilities.

2. Enlargement in Distress

David prayed, “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress” (Psalm 4 : 1).
Pressure does not crush the man under mercy—it stretches him for enlargement.

3. Mercy as Strategy

When Israel faced extinction, God gave Esther a night that changed history. Mercy can cause kings to lose sleep until your file is reopened.

4. Triumph in the Presence of Enemies

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23 : 5)
Mercy makes you comfortable while hostility watches helplessly.

5. Morning Renewals

“His mercies are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3 : 23)
Yesterday’s failure does not deplete today’s supply. Each dawn brings fresh chances.

6. Exemption from Destruction

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed.” (Lamentations 3 : 22)
While judgment sweeps through nations, mercy marks you exempt.

These manifestations—duplication, enlargement, strategy, triumph, renewal, exemption—are the visible footprints of a merciful God walking through human history.

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Mercy Works in the Marketplace Too

Mercy is not confined to altars; it operates in offices and ordinary spaces.
The children of Israel multiplied under oppression (Exodus 1 : 12).
Joseph prospered in another man’s house (Genesis 39 : 2-3).

When the systems around you tighten, mercy becomes your invisible equity. It causes your work to speak louder than opposition and turns injustice into advancement.

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Mercy, the Deliverer and Healer

Mercy does not only forgive—it heals and preserves.

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple… He has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.”
— Psalm 116 : 5-8

In the book Understanding the Mercy of God, Rev. Areogun calls this the mercy of preservation. It keeps you alive when statistics predict otherwise. It is mercy that suspends medical verdicts, lifts the sentence of fear, and sustains the believer until purpose is complete.

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How to Access the Flow of Mercy

1. Love God and Keep His Word

   “Know therefore that the Lord thy God… keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him.” (Deuteronomy 7 : 9)
   Love opens the pipeline of mercy.

2. Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace

   “Let us therefore come boldly… that we may obtain mercy.” (Hebrews 4 : 16)
   Mercy isn’t begged for—it’s received by revelation.

3. Extend Mercy to Others

   “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5 : 7)
   The surest way to stay under mercy’s covering is to show it.

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Mercy Guarantees Reward

Mercy doesn’t cancel reward; it guarantees that the reward is accurate and timely.

“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.” (Hebrews 6 : 10)

Even when people overlook you, mercy keeps your file open in Heaven. God sees, remembers, and repays in due season. Every seed of obedience, every unseen labour in His house, every private intercession will meet its harvest under mercy.

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Mercy, the Great Equalizer

Mercy neutralizes pedigree, performance, and probability.
It takes the ordinary and makes him extraordinary. It takes the latecomer and makes him a front-runner.

When mercy found Mary, the obscure virgin of Nazareth, she became the mother of our Lord. When mercy found Saul of Tarsus, he became Paul the apostle.

Mercy is God’s way of saying, “You still have a future with Me.”

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Living Under Mercy

Beloved, mercy is not just something God shows—it is who He is.
If you are in Christ, you are already seated in mercy.
Every morning you wake up is another evidence that mercy has renewed your case file.

So stop rehearsing your disqualifications. Start rehearsing His compassion.
You are a vessel of mercy—a living proof that God still picks men from dust and sets them among princes.

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Prayer Declaration

Father, thank You for Your mercy that never fails.
Let it speak over my past, my present, and my future.
Include me where law excluded me.
Heal where I have been broken.
Multiply where I have been diminished.
And make me a dispenser of mercy to others,
in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

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Further Reading

📘 Rev. Olusola Areogun, Understanding the Mercy of God — A foundational text on how divine mercy governs restoration, acceleration, and reward in the believer’s life.