“Gracious Mercy”

Scripture:

Psalm 6:1-2
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. (NKJ)

Observation:

It is never an easy task to break the old habits of sinfulness, for it is simply our nature to oppose God (Romans 8:7). Nor is it easy to admit our weakness to resist the nature to sin by our own power alone. I find that the closer I am drawn to the Lord, the more I learn about my own inherent weakness to restrain from sin and how easy it is to fall prey to its temptations without much thought or struggle. And when I, once again, mindlessly fall short of God’s standard, I am made even more aware of my weaknesses and how desperate I am for God’s mercy and grace.

Application:

It is obvious that without God’s gracious mercy I would justly receive the condemnation I deserve. What a blessing it is that we can seek God’s forgiveness and gain yet, another chance to do it right. It is never easy living a righteous life in this ungodly world that demands our conformity to its ways. We cannot escape the temptations to find pleasure in the things that God despises, for it surrounds us from every side, beating on the door of our frail human weakness; relentless to gain entrance and get a foothold on our lives. If we are to win the battles for our minds and souls, we need God’s Power and Wisdom, for without them, we are no match for the powers of darkness that rule this world. No matter how good or godly we aspire to be, we will always sin and deserve God’s rebuke; not so much for condemnation, but for conviction and sanctification (Jeremiah 10:24) to keep us from being crushed and defeated. When we humble ourselves before God, sincerely seeking His incredible transforming Power, God’s amazing grace will always be sufficient for all our needs. When your heart is right with God, my friends, He gives abundantly the mercy and grace you do not deserve and cannot earn (Titus 3:4-6), for Jehovah our God is both a loving and faithful God… even when you are not.

Prayer:

How thankful I am, dear LORD, for the mercy and grace You so freely give. Because without You in any life, there is absolutely no hope for true joy; for the the salvation you offer us is something that we can never earn or deserve.

Amen