God is merciful in His character. He supremely demonstrated His mercy in what His Son did for humanity on the cross. As a result, we should show mercy to others. Still, we need wisdom to know when to show mercy and when not to.

Exo 34:6. God is merciful and gracious in His character. These attributes often occur together throughout the Old Testament. See 2 Chron 30:9; Neh 9:17, 31; Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2.

Rom 5:8; Eph 2:3-5. The cross supremely demonstrates God’s mercy through Christ’s example.

Luke 6:31-38; Mat 7:1-2. Jesus teaches us that we should show mercy to others rather than judgement. By the strictness with which we judge and condemn others, we will be judged as well.

1 Sam 2:12-17, 22-25, 28-35; 3:11-14. Showing mercy isn’t always the right course of action. When Eli found out his sons were committing terrible acts, he confronted them but did not ensure they stopped their deplorable behavior. In this case, Eli’s mercy resulted in catastrophe for his family and Israel.

James 2:13. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Victor Hugo illustrated the redemptive power of mercy in his novel, Les Misérables, in the bishop’s mercy shown to Jean Valjean.