Psa 28:1-2 (NIV) Of David. To You I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if You remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place.

As you look back at those times when you treated people in a certain way because of what they deserved or didn’t deserve, you can see why God will or will not have mercy on you. The only way you can open the door to “be shown mercy” is for you to do good to someone who DOESN’T DESERVE it; or, you can be merciful to someone who DESERVES to be mistreated. This opens the doors to God’s mercy to you.

But now, you find yourself crying out to God for mercy in regards to your situation. It doesn’t take much imagination or figuring things out to realize why your prayer is or isn’t being answered. When you learn how God works, you discover that He wants you to be like Him. Pray and ask Him to empower you to be like Him in the way you treat yourself, other people, and His plan. Once you learn this principle, let it influence your prayers for Him to empower you to be merciful. You know YOU can’t produce these attitudes; but, you know He can, if you ask Him to.

When you can feel attitudes of anger, frustration, revenge, and retaliation raising up in your heart when people do things you don’t like, tell God that you don’t want to be merciful to them. Tell Him that it is impossible for you to produce merciful attitudes during situations of injustice, mistreatment, abuse, and cheating. But, let Him know that you want His mercy to flow into your life; ask Him to empower you with His power-mercy so you can feel His feelings of mercy in your heart.

Psa 28:3-5 (NIV) Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never build them up again.

Your treating people with mercy is what opens the doors for GOD to bring judgment on evil people:

• You can only ask God, Do not drag me away with the wicked, if you don’t repay them for their deeds yourself.


• You can only ask God, Do not drag me away with...those who do evil, if you don’t repay them for their deeds yourself.


• You can only ask God, Do not drag me away with...those who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts, if you don’t repay them for their deeds yourself.


• You can only ask God to repay them for their deeds and for their evil work, if you don’t repay them for their deeds yourself.


• You can only ask God to repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve, if you don’t repay them for their deeds yourself.

The end result of you not repaying evil people for their deeds yourself and asking God to do it is: Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what His hands have done, HE will tear them down and never build them up again.

Here is what Jesus teaches you to do: First, you show a person mercy, Luke 6:29 (NIV) If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. But, if you find out that they are actually evil people and not just bad people, you get away from them as fast as you can: Mat 7:6 (NIV) Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Bad people can be converted; evil people can not.

Psa 28:6-9 (NIV) Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His Anointed One. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their Shepherd and carry them forever.

Christians tend to read certain verses in the Bible and base their whole life on a few Scriptures. Your people-relationships CANNOT be based on verses that you have picked out for how to treat people and how you should allow them to treat you. For you to fulfill the teaching and training of Jesus, you need to allow Him to help you understand what He is saying. Let Jesus help you take a look at unique situations where you ACCIDENTLY get into an issue with someone.

Mat 5:39-42 (NIV) But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Ask Jesus to help you see that He isn’t inviting you into being a doormat; ask Him to show you that He is just telling you how to deal with a MOMENT where you encounter an evil person.

Let Jesus teach you that His main point is:

• Do not get into a battle with an evil person: “Do not resist an evil person.” If you get into a battle with an EVIL person, it will gradually take over your whole life.


• Overcome evil with good: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” The moment you encounter an evil person, quickly go the extra mile with them and then get away from them.


• “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.” Ask Jesus to help you, as much as is possible, to spend your time with people who are willing to become righteous and who are willing to receive your help.