To Timothy, my true son in the faith. 

Grace, 

mercy, 

and peace 

from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Timothy 1:2 CSB

The second thing that Paul has for us is "mercy".

The Greek word here is "eleos" and means mercy, pity, compassion. 

As you and I step into a new year it's a wonderful thing to know that we are the object of "eleos" from our Heavenly Father, and from Jesus. 

To have mercy and compassion for someone we have to at least hear about them, their circumstances, what has happened to them, what injury, hurt, loss, injustice has hit them. Hearing about those things makes us compassionate, seeing it raises our compassion and mercy another level, and if we know the person, that really swings us into action. 

Mercy makes us want to help, to comfort, to right what is wrong, to make that person whole again.

Ephesians 1:4 says that God knew us from before time, Psalm 139 describes how well we are known. 

As humans we are limited, but God is not. His mercy is for us as a people, as our world, and his compassion is for us as an individual.

A person.

You.

Seen, known, and loved.

God's mercy and compassion brought him into the Story to make a way, to be the way. 

Maybe as you start 2022 the truth of that will seep in a little more, be a little more real, and as it does maybe we can be a little more like Him.

#mercyandcompassion

#seen

#known

#loved

#truthtorestin