Scripture: Psalm 130:1-8
Journal: What is mercy to you? How are
crying out to God for mercy these days?
Reflection:
What is mercy, exactly? It is a word we often use, but what does it
really mean? And what are we actually
asking for when we ask someone to have mercy on us? The blind man in Mark 10:47 begged Jesus for
mercy. And the tax collector of Luke
18:13 stood at a distance with his eyes downcast and beat his breast as
he asked God to have mercy on him. But
what is mercy?
The dictionary would tell us
that mercy is compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender,
an enemy, or other person in one's power.
It is compassion, pity, or benevolence. The cry for mercy is a cry for unmerited favor. But those just seem like words on a page that
fail to capture the true emotion and posture of someone begging for mercy. For this request does not come lightly, it
comes out of the depths. It is
what happens when we are desperate, powerless, or at the end of our rope. We ask for mercy when it becomes evident that
there is no other alternative, no other way out, or through. For if there was another alternative, if
there was some other way, surely we would try it.
The person begging for mercy
is the one who has come to the end of himself, and is totally dependent on someone
greater to enter in and act benevolently on his behalf. Therefore, the cry for mercy is one that
comes from a posture of total humility, dependence, and surrender. You don’t beg for mercy if you have hope that
somehow you might be able figure it out or muscle your way through on your
own. It involves a realization of both the
gravity of our own situation, as well as our utter powerlessness to do anything
about it.
The beautiful thing is that
when we do eventually cry out in desperation for God’s mercy, he responds, “Finally! This is music to my ears. I have been waiting and waiting for you to
come to the end of yourself and turn to me.
Now we’re getting somewhere. Now the
real work can begin.”
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on
me, a sinner.”
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