A Cry for Mercy

 

Psalms 116

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.2 Because he turned his ear to me, 

I will call on him as long as I live.3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : “O LORD, save me!”5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.10 I believed; therefore I said, 

“I am greatly afflicted.”11 And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.”12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; 

you have freed me from my chains.17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

A Cry for Mercy

Have any of us had times in our lives that we didn’t cry out for God’s mercy? It is not usually in the good times, the prosperous times or the times when there is no trouble in our lives.  We would like to accept these times and conditions as the norm, but, rather it is for a short time or long visitation, we all have trouble, anguish, hurt and heartache visit our life.  What is more important than knowing the Lord as our life preserver is knowing Him as our life sustainer.  He needs us to acknowledge Him in the good and the bad, the sweet and the bitter.  He is the source of our blessing and salvation, and He is the mercy and grace in our trials and tribulations.  It is the nature of our natural life and the consequence of sin in the earth that heartache, sorrow, pain, poverty, death and sickness all want to touch our lives to one degree or another.  What other sure resource and provision do we have than the love of God and the power of His Word and promises to us.  In these fiery times of our affliction He is the rock that we lean on and the confidence that we trust in.  David says here, “In my dismay I said, “All men are liars.””  It is not in the confidence of man that we can trust.  Men will always disappoint us, but the Lord is continually our hope and our salvation.  He alone can deliver us out of the impossible for men.  Often our faith is sorely tried and tested.  Will we murmur and complain or will we continue to rejoice in the faithfulness of God?  Faith is able to see and do what the flesh can not see and recognize.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  David fixed his eyes upon the living God even when death surrounded Him.  He counted Him faithful who called Him and he found, “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.”  

Today the Lord stands with you in your afflictions whatever that may be.  He loves you.  He has called you and He has purposed you for His glory.  Do not grow weary or lose heart.  God is faithful upon the throne of your heart.  He is your hope and salvation.  We can call upon His mercy in those difficult times, but let us not neglect to praise and acknowledge His grace and blessing even in our good times.  “I will call on him as long as I live.”

Blessings,

#kent

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