When King David’s sin with Bathsheba had been discovered, David repented and sought God’s mercy, saying in Psalm 51:1 NASB, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.”
If you are like me…or like King David…you have probably had more than one occasion in your life in which you have uttered that very same prayer in repentance, seeking God’s compassionate mercy.
Way back on November 26, 2002, while in South Bend, Indiana, preparing for a TV show, I had come into town the day before the show and was attempting to go to sleep…but God had other plans. During the day, I had thought about my friends from the band Mercy Me and had simply begun meditating on what it would mean to have God ‘mercy’ me. What would God ‘mercying’ me look like? What did that even mean, mercy me?
I came to the conclusion that I needed to know and understand the meaning of mercy. When I think of mercy I automatically think of compassion. What is compassion? Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others and that would be a right way of thinking about it…but there is so much more to the meaning of mercy than compassion.
So then, what is mercy? Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish. My mind was flooded with the remembrances of all the times in my past when God had mercy on me…had compassion toward me…when He forgave me.
Reality is I do not deserve His mercy or His love or His grace or His goodness. But because of the blood of Jesus, I have direct access to my Father through my relationship with Jesus Christ. Even when I blow it, He loves me. Even when I am depressed, He loves me. Even when I turn away from Him, He loves me. Even when I do not deserve His goodness, He is always there to bless me. Knowing this makes me want to repent and follow Him…and does not lead me to license as some tend to think.
The other aspect of mercy came to me as I came to realize that I would have to say goodbye to my friend and pastor who had just been called away to help begin a new work of ministry in another state…and that I would not be able to be in attendance on his last day at the church due to my trip to Indiana. Yet I know God’s mercy and I know He knew this would happen…so I trusted Him and His merciful ways.
I began to write a song - it felt more like it was writing itself - due this deluge of truth concerning the mercy of God on my life. This song has so many levels for me as it pertains to my personal life. God is so merciful. So compassionate. His mercies are new every morning. Luke 1:50 NASB says, "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.”
One of my favorite passages on God’s mercy is found in Lamentations 3:19-23 which says…
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD'S lovingkindnesses - His mercies - indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
[They] are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Our God is faithful in His mercy toward us. Just think of Roman 5:8 which says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Let’s do this, brothers and sisters. Let’s lean into the faithful mercy of God each and every day. After all, they are literally new every morning of every single day. Get in on that morning dew of mercy.
Dennis Jernigan
To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Mercy Me, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/mercy-me-1616510595/
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