IS GOD REALLY MERCIFUL?

WHAT IS DRIVING YOUR ACTIONS AND REACTIONS?

READ PSALM 57

Psalm 57:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by. 

Is God really merciful? Does God show mercy? Are these generic truths, or is this a dependable characteristic of God? Does God show partiality in His mercy? As men, are we capable of evaluating God’s mercy? Are we aware enough of what is going on around us to really even notice the mercy of God? Do we really know what is best for us? Do we really understand what we deserve? Can we minimally grasp the gap between us and God? Do we have any understanding of the eternal purposes of God? Do we comprehend the immensity of the miracle of salvation? Do we cherish the privilege of being ambassadors for the Most High God?

I know that I easily become very myopic. All I can and, too often, want to see is myself. I am driven by my wants and my desire for control. I want people to see my value and praise me, or at least not criticize me. I can so easily feel sorry for myself, compare myself to others, and stir up the most elaborate pity-party within my soul. When I welcome others to this pity-party and they don’t readily come to join me, then I am disappointed and even see them as now being against me. I can easily do the same with God.

We are driven into this black hole in our marriages, our jobs, our relationships, our churches. Our life can easily become a roller coaster of joys and sorrow. We become guarded in our relationships, defensive in our attitudes, and even fearful in our service.

I trust that this is not where you are today! I thank God if you are not, but I am sure you know someone who is there. Where can one find real hope? Where can one find solace? Where can one find healing?

In this psalm, even though David is going through a very difficult time, he goes to God to find mercy. What does he know about God that sustains him?

Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 

David has embraced at least two things about God: he knows who the Lord is and he knows that God has purposes that are being fulfilled in him. David has great trust in the character of God. He is truly the Most High, His power is without rival, His love is perfect, His wisdom is beyond comprehension. God has meticulous plans for him, which have been perfectly planned from eternity past, unchangeable. He is, and always will be, in perfect control.

Pain and enemies are real. We live in a fallen world, where even those whom we hope would never hurt us probably will, not once but many times. Crying out to God is driven by real pain and real awareness of evil. But God is never our enemy, He never has evil intentions. His purposes are always perfectly loving and perfectly planned out.

Even if we are bearing the consequences of our past sin, still God has loving purposes for us. He is active in showing His immense love to us. He is drawing us into His arms; He is transforming us into the image of His Son. His work of transformation in every believer is particular and continuous. We should not look to escape it, but we should eagerly embrace it.

Psalm 57:3

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 

David knew that God was his protection, that He would know what to do with his enemies in due time. In the meantime, he knew he was perfectly loved and that God was faithful.

Isaiah 53:10a

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

Another version translates this as ‘it pleased God to crush Him’. God’s will was to crush Christ in order to provide salvation for you and me. His eternal purposes pleased Him, even though They had to go through the agony of the cross. The author of Hebrews reminds us that for the joy that was set before Him, Christ endured the cross. The desired end was what drove the Father to plan the Cross and the Son to submit to it.

We need to be driven by the purposes of God and we need to desire them at all cost. When we do, we will never live as sad victims, but as joyful slaves, who have been redeemed by our Master. David allowed the truth to drive his attitude.

Be encouraged today! May those who see you have a glimpse of your Savior. May your words of trust in Him cause others to glorify your Father in heaven.