The Standard of Mercy – September 25, 2026

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260925dev.mp3

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It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
Romans 9:16

The Standard of Mercy

When you have a job to perform or an assignment to complete, you want to know what is expected. What does it take to get a good grade? How can you earn your paycheck? Judged competitions, whether in athletics, the arts, or entries at the county fair, have standards that judges use to determine the final score for each competitor.

We want to know God’s standards for our lives, too. God’s laws and commandments make demands and set expectations. Because we want God’s acceptance, we naturally look to those standards. We may assume that the better we follow God’s commandments, the more he will love and bless us, and the more confidence we can have that we will go to heaven.

But God’s law demands perfection, and none of us can achieve that. If the outcome depends on our performance, we will never get to heaven.

But our status before God does not depend on who we are or what we do. It depends on his mercy. Mercy is when God doesn’t treat us the way our sins and failures deserve. God’s mercy, flowing from his incomprehensible and unconditional love for all people, led him to fulfill the requirements of his law for us when he sent Jesus.

Our standing before God, our eligibility for heaven’s rewards, isn’t based on our performance. It is based entirely on the compassionate heart of God, the unconditional love of God, the astounding mercy of God. In love and mercy, he met standards for us and gives us his rewards as a gift.

What a relief! My failures don’t disqualify me. I don’t have to worry whether my performance is bett