DAILY TEXT, Today Wednesday, November 29, 2023, He who covers his ears to the cries of the needy will not receive an answer when he himself calls (Prov. 21:13).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Wednesday, November 29

He who covers his ears to the cries of the needy will not receive an answer when he himself calls (Prov. 21:13).

All Christians want to be merciful like Jehovah. Because? One reason is that he does not listen to those who do not show mercy to others. Because we do not want Jehovah to refuse to hear our prayers, we are very careful not to be harsh with others. Instead of covering our ears “to the cries of the needy,” we are always ready to listen to the Christian who is suffering pain. Furthermore, we take seriously this warning from the Bible: “He who shows no mercy will have a judgment without mercy” (James 2:13). If we are humble and keep in mind how much we need mercy to be shown, we will be more willing to show it to others. Most of all, we want to do it when a repentant sinner returns to the congregation. In the Bible, we find examples that teach us to show mercy to others and not treat them harshly. w21.10 12 paras. 16, 17.

On what two occasions did David show no mercy?

However, David did not always show mercy. For example, when Nabal—who was a rough man by nature—insulted him and refused to give food to David and his men, David became angry and said that he would kill Nabal and all the men in his house. Because Nabal's wife Abigail acted quickly, kindly, and patiently, David was not guilty of shedding blood (1 Sam. 25:9-22, 32-35).

On another occasion, the prophet Nathan told David about a rich man who stole from a poor man a little sheep that he was very fond of. David was furious and said, “As surely as Jehovah lives, the man who did this deserves to die!” (2 Sam. 12:1-6). He knew that the Law of Moses said that if a person stole one sheep, he must give four sheep in compensation (Ex. 22:1). But to say that the man deserved to die was too harsh a judgment. In fact, Nathan used that example to help David understand that he himself had committed several much worse crimes. And Jehovah showed David much more mercy than David would have shown the man of Nathan's example (2 Sam. 12:7-13).

What does David's example teach us?

Note that, when David was overcome with fury, he said that Nabal and all his men deserved to die. And then he did not hesitate to condemn the man of Nathan's example to death. In the latter case, we may wonder why a man who was normally so good was so harsh in his judgment. But let's think about what David's situation was. At that moment he was carrying a guilty conscience. The tendency to judge others harshly is a sign of poor spiritual health. Jesus gave this serious warning: “Stop judging, so that you will not be judged. For as you judge others, you will be judged” (Matt. 7:1, 2). So let us avoid being harsh with others and strive to be rich in mercy, like our God.

In what ways can we show mercy?

Mercy is more than a feeling; It involves doing things for others. We can all think of people to help in the family, the congregation or the territory. We will surely find many ways to show them mercy. Do we know of anyone who needs comfort? Can we bring someone something to eat or help them in another way? Does a reinstated brother need encouragement or comfort from a friend? Can we bring the hope of good news to others? This is one of the best ways to show mercy to others (Job 29:12, 13; Rom. 10:14, 15; James 1:27).

If we are attentive, we will realize that around us there are many opportunities to show mercy. If we demonstrate this quality, we will make our heavenly Father, the God who is “rich in mercy,” very happy.

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