Bible Passage (NKJV): ROMANS 9:10–16 (NKJV)
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
EXHORTATION
Welcome to Mercy Speaking Devotional on this Thursday, the 7th of May 2026—a day that reminds us that God’s choice to favour anyone is not first by merit but by mercy. Hence, you were not chosen because you deserved it. You were chosen because God, in His sovereign mercy, decided to love you.
Emmanuel grew up in Kumasi, Ghana, in the early 2000s, the third son in a troubled family with very little financial stability. By his late teens, his life had spiralled into petty crime, alcohol abuse, and eventually armed robbery. At twenty-two, he was arrested and sentenced to seven years in Nsawam Medium Security Prison. His family disowned him, his girlfriend left, and even the church he once attended removed his name from its register—a rejection that wounded him deeply.
In prison, Emmanuel was not searching for God. He had no interest in redemption and believed he was beyond hope. But in 2008, during a routine chapel service he attended merely to escape boredom, a chaplain read from Romans 9. One verse struck him deeply: “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” In that moment, something shifted within him. He later explained that he suddenly realised God was not waiting for him to become good enough—God had already chosen to be merciful.
That realisation broke him. Quietly, without attention, he wept—his first tears in years. It was not because he had earned forgiveness, but because he understood that mercy had been extended to him long before he ever thought about God. Emmanuel was released in 2012 after a reduced sentence for good behaviour. He later studied theology in Accra and now pastors a growing church in Tema while running a prison ministry that reaches hundreds of inmates. His testimony remains simple: he did not find God; God found him.
This story captures the essence of Romans 9. The apostle Paul explains a profound truth: God’s choice is not based on human effort or merit. Using the example of Jacob and Esau—twins from the same womb—Paul shows that God’s purpose is established beyond human performance. Before either had done good or evil, God chose Jacob. This choice was not about superiority or effort, but about divine mercy.
Far from being harsh, this truth is liberating. If our relationship with God depended on our performance, we would live in constant fear of failure. Every mistake would threaten our standing, leaving us uncertain and exhausted. But Scripture makes it clear: our foundation is not our effort but God’s mercy. It is not “of him who wills, nor of him who runs,” but of God who shows mercy.
This does not mean our actions and efforts are meaningless. True mercy produces transformation. Emmanuel’s life is evidence of that. When mercy touches a heart, change follows. A person once bound by sin begins to pursue righteousness. The one who was lost starts walking in purpose. As Paul teaches in Romans 6, grace is not a license to continue in sin but the power to overcome it. Mercy does not leave a person unchanged; it revives, restores, and empowers a new life.
However, the starting point remains God’s initiative. We did not choose Him first; He chose us. He saw us in our brokenness, our past failures, and even our future struggles—and still extended mercy. This is what makes the gospel truly good news. It is not about achieving worthiness but receiving grace.
Perhaps you carry shame from past mistakes or feel disqualified by your failures. You may believe you are too far gone to be restored or used by God. But this passage reminds us that God’s mercy is not limited by our history. It is not delayed by our weakness or diminished by our doubt. Just as Emmanuel encountered God unexpectedly, you too can experience a mercy that meets you where you are.
You are not defined by your worst moments. You are not the sum of your failures. You are someone who can be transformed by mercy. And once received, that mercy becomes the most powerful force for change in your life.
Let this truth settle deeply within you: your hope does not rest on your effort but on the mercy of God.
Food For Thought
Mercy is not earned by effort—it is received by grace through faith, and it has the power to rewrite your story. And that means if God’s mercy found you at your worst, then your future is not limited by your past.
Prayer Points
- Father, I thank You that Your mercy toward me is not based on my performance or my past. I receive Your grace today and declare that I am chosen because of who You are, in Jesus’ name.
- Lord, every voice of shame, disqualification, or unworthiness is silenced by Your Word in my life. I walk free from condemnation and from the burden of earning what You have already given, in Jesus’ name.
- I pray for everyone who has drifted far from You, not even seeking or expecting You. Let Your mercy find them today, breaking every barrier and drawing them into Your light, in Jesus’ name.
- God of restoration, I surrender every area of my life I have tried to control by my own strength. Transform me from within and let my life show the evidence of Your mercy at work, in Jesus’ name.
- Lord, make me a vessel of Your mercy to others in my family, community, and relationships. Let my life reflect Your compassion and stand as a testimony that Your mercy still speaks, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
