Proverbs 3:3,4,  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

From Psalm 33:22 we learn that the abundant mercy of God is available to all, but only in measure according to the hope that we place in him.

Without hope in him we shut ourselves off to his mercy.

Mercy cannot be extended to one who does not have his hand out to another who has the ability to fill it.

Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it, God tells us.

Mercy cannot be extended to one who does not admit need, to one who does not open his mouth!

But if we give our ear to truth we find that we are needy people in spite of the strengths in which we take pride.

Man convinces himself of his self reliance but man's heart is deceitful and in truth man cannot rely on self because self has no resource adequate to meet man's need.

That is the big lie of our culture today. Self reliance, but self cannot meet man's need.

Man cannot have mercy on himself because he cannot meet his own need.

He does not have the resources to meet his own need.

We are a needy people and we need mercy from the one and only one who has the resources to satisfy our need.

W. E. Vine defines mercy in his dictionary as:

The outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it; and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.

So we know the source of true mercy. The Bible tells us that God delighteth in mercy.

Psalm 86:15,  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

We are to be followers of God in mercy as dear children.

As ones being conformed to the image of Christ we are also to give mercy.

Solomon in our proverb today instructs his son:

He wants his son to be a son of mercy and truth.

Son, I want you to have these perfections of God.

Note how Solomon joins mercy to truth.

This is an important combination and mercy must always be joined to truth to be like God's mercy.

Psalm 25:10, tells us that:  All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Every path the Lord in involved in is bounded by mercy and truth.

Those who keep his covenant and his testimonies, those who hope in him are to be bounded by mercy and truth.

Solomon expresses this in this proverb by reminding his son to wear mercy and truth as they were a precious ornamental necklace about his neck.

A necklace ever present worn throughout life reminding his son of the instruction to be merciful and truthful in his mercy.

The necklace is to be visible to all men not for your glory, son but for God's glory.

It is not to be hidden to some and visible to others.

It is to be constantly worn because mercy is to be constantly exercised.

Mercy and truth are to be engraved deeply, permanently on the tablets of your heart.

Record the need to be merciful in truth in your daily deliberations, in the paths that you trod, every instance of the day have mercy and truth in your mind.

Be clothed in mercy and truth is the instruction that Solomon gives to his son.

What is this mercy that Solomon wants for his son?

He wants his son to see the need around him and to use the resources that God gives his son, to fill those needs.

He wants his son to see the need of salvation of the sinner and the need to give the sinner the gospel but only in truth.

No hidden motives, no desire for reward, no consideration of payback. No desire for self promotion.

No 'you owe me one' now that I have met your need.

He wants his son to be merciful to his wife and to his children because there are need and he has the resources to fill them.

He wants his son to see the need of the church body and provide what he has to help the church body.

That is what God gives his son resources for.

Solomon tells his son: Don't permit yourself to get in a position where you do not see the need.

Where you do not fill the need when God has given you the resource to fill the need.

Don't shut up your bowels of mercy by filling yourself with yourself.

Let not mercy and truth forsake you son because you allow no room in your heart.

Don't let mercy walk out on you because you have no time to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Don't let mercy and truth forsake you because you choke off the mercy that God gives according to the hope that you have in him.

Mercy, unless exercised, will leave you son, mercy and truth must be used like a muscle or it will die in you son.

God expects you to seek and ye shall find and that includes the act of being merciful.

Are there not needs around where mercy can be extended?

Are you a pauper in merciful deeds?

Do you need practice to build your mercy muscles? Just look around son.

Get your eyes and your mind off yourself and start writing mercy and truth on the tablets of your heart.

This world is filled with opportunities to exercise mercy and God desires that his children excercise mercy on His behalf

Son, my desire for you is that your life be a life where mercy and truth is your way of life. My son:

Matthew 5:7,  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. If you sow mercy you will reap mercy.

Don't you desire the mercy of God?

He gives it to you so you can give it to others. Don't let it forsake you!

Mercy and truth do that for you son!

And it please the Lord for his children to exhibit mercy and truth to those around them. Opportunities abound!

Are not mercy and truth so rare as to attract good will of men?

Exhibit mercy and truth in your daily walk and your testimony will bring glory to God.

You will have success in the sight to God and man!

Jesus Christ perfectly exemplified this instruction as shown in:

Luke 2:52,  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Proverbs 3:3-4,  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: (4) So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Based upon the promises of the word of God our Proverbs father has promised his son length of days and long life and peace.

But our Proverbs father does not see his son living a long life for self serving purposes.

He does not give his son, law and commandments in order for his son to be successful for himself.

He is not preparing his son to serve himself but he is preparing his son to serve God and to serve others in God's behalf.

He wants his laws and commandments to result in a son who is to be a son of mercy and truth.

His law and commandments are purposeful in bringing him a son that meets his vision for his son.

And he desires a son in whom mercy and truth come from the heart.

He is not satisfied with the outward.

He is not interested in appearance.

He wants mercy and truth to be so imbedded in the heart of his son that it is like the deep carving on a tablet of stone.

Don't be oblivious to the need around you son, its there if you have a heart for it.

God calls you to extend mercy to those around you in his behalf.

You are to be his mercy agent wherever you are to be.

This is not a job that is extended to a chosen few of God's people but all God's people are called to extend God's mercy and truth for the glory of God.

He has given you resources for the job and he expects you to use those resources for His glory.

He tells his son: Don't permit yourself to blind your eyes to the need by focusing on your own need.

Let God take care of your need.

Don't let mercy walk out on you because you have no time to be

sensitive to the needs of others.

Mercy needs exercise and God gives much opportunity to extend mercy to those who desire to please God and to do his will.

Are there not needs around where mercy can be extended?

Are you a pauper in merciful deeds? Everyday merciful deeds?

Do you need practice to build your mercy muscles? Just look around son.

Get your eyes and your mind off yourself and start writing mercy and truth on the tablets of your heart.

This world is filled with opportunities to exercise mercy and God desires that his children exercise mercy on His behalf.

That is how God's mercy is delivered. Though his children!

Son, my desire for you is that your life be a life where mercy and truth is your way of life.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:7,  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.

If you sow mercy you will reap mercy.

Don't you desire the mercy of God?

Mustn't we absolutely have the mercy of God? Without the mercy of God, son, we are doomed.

But he extends his mercy so you can extend mercy to others.

Don't let it forsake you!

So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of

God and man.

Mercy and truth do that for you son!

When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to

be at peace with him.

And it please the Lord for his children to exhibit mercy and

truth to those around them.

Mercy and truth are so rare that the good will of men will be attracted to you?

Exhibit mercy and truth in your daily walk and your testimony will bring glory to God.

You will have success in the sight of God and man!

Jesus Christ perfectly exemplified this instruction as recorded in:

Luke 2:52,  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

And this righteous father of Proverbs also desires this for his son.

Are not the children of God to be conformed to our merciful Saviour.

Didn't he see the need of the sinner and knew that only he had the resources to fill that need.

He endured the cross, He despised the shame but he rose above personal desires and showed mercy upon us that we also may show mercy as we are conformed to him by the Father.

He was the only one who could meet the need and you may be the only one who can meet the need for God.

This father expects his son to be there when God calls.