Mercy on DisplaySýnishorn

“You washed me clean as white as snow

I stand in awe, Your love won't let me go, Jesus”

MERCY - THE UNDESERVED GIFT

Psalm 51 is a beautiful song written by King David. It paints a picture of God’s mercy that is surprising and comforting. But to be honest, the events that inspired this Psalm are ugly and pretty disturbing.

In his younger years, David displayed a soft-hearted confidence in God. He trusted God’s calling, the anointing promise, and he lived out a courageous life of faith. But those years of humble obedience gradually gave way to a growing self-sufficiency and an unchecked lust and pride. So much so that his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah didn’t even feel wrong. The man ‘after God’s own heart’ had become an abusive and corrupt king.

But God doesn’t ignore us when we make a mess of our lives, when we act selfishly and hurt those around us. He sent Nathan to confront the shepherd king with a powerful story that would convict him of his sin and selfishness. It’s an awkward moment when we would expect God to throw the book at David. And yet, by forcing David to face his failure, God is offering a gift of mercy. David doesn’t deserve forgiveness or the opportunity to rediscover his intimacy with God, but God delights in showing mercy - He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love.

There’s a part of us that finds such mercy uncomfortable. Shouldn’t David be held accountable, shouldn’t he pay for what he did? Yep, absolutely - but that’s what mercy is. Mercy is God’s bias, his default response - to offer forgiveness, a fresh start, an undeserved gift - when we least expect it. And we need mercy just as much as David.

Forgiveness is a scandalous idea that is birthed in the heart of God - it doesn’t make sense in the natural realm. But God is drawn to broken and humble hearts, he delights in lives that receive the gift of mercy by faith. In Psalm 51 David shows us this kind of faith - a faith that believes that God isn’t finished with him yet. Like David, our lives can be an invitation to others - to dare to hope that in our darkest moments we are still loved by a God who is obsessed with mercy.

1. What are the things I find hardest to accept God’s mercy towards?
2. How can I tell my life story in a way that points others to the outrageous mercy of God?