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“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” Proverbs 3:3

A quaint elderly couple had just finished their Saturday evening ritual of watching the Maestro, Lawrence Welk. They chatted, as usual, about how that one hour a week managed to transport them back to a simpler time. Directly, as the conversation continued, the sweet wife said, “I sure would like some ice cream.” The husband knew before it began, that the conversation would eventually lead to ice cream.

“Alright dear, give me a minute,” he said as he adjusted his hearing aid. “Just ice cream?” he stated as he began to rise. “Yes dear, just ice cream.” After the first step he heard, “Oh honey, some chocolate syrup please.” “Alright, ice cream with chocolate syrup.” The next couple of steps were halted with, “Oh coconut sprinkles, a little coconut on it too.” “Alright dear,” he yelled over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen.

As she flipped through the pages of a magazine, she heard him busily about his task. After about ten minutes of beating and banging, she noticed the lights go off in the kitchen. “Finally,” she thought, as she watched him approach.

“Here dear,” he said as he stood before her with her request. She glanced up at him with the most inquisitive look on her face you could imagine. There he stood with a plate of perfectly scrambled eggs. Puzzled and perplexed, all she could say was, “where’s the toast? You know I have to have toast with my eggs!”

Some things in life just won’t work until they are paired with the right partner. Abbott and Costello. Roy and Dale. Peanut butter and jelly. Scrambled eggs and toast.

God says here in his word something to the same effect: “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee.” He didn’t say let not mercy forsake thee, nor did he say let not truth forsake thee. He paired them together for a reason. We are to realize that one will not operate independently of the other.

Abbott could not work without Costello. Roy was just another lonely cowboy without Dale. Peanut butter cannot shine without jelly. Scrambled eggs can’t stand on their own without toast.

Thus, the Lord tells us mercy is ineffectual without truth. Truth cannot shine without mercy. Both were on display at Calvary, where Jesus laid down His life to satisfy God’s righteous judgment for our sin.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

God’s mercy and truth. Will you accept them today? If you are ready to put your trust in Jesus Christ, talk with Him today from your heart. It might go something like this:

Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose again according to the scriptures. Please forgive my sins and come into my heart today. Amen

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