“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Ps 51:1-2 AV)
The mercy of God never gets old! Words cannot explain just how much God loves us and affirms our value. We have nothing of value to bring to a Creator who owns everything. There is nothing we can do for an omnipotent God who can do all things. There is no logical reason God should put up with any of us. We are so full of sin and faults, that there is nothing attractive that He should desire. He created mankind and all we have managed to do is rebel against Him. Then we read the verses above. We realize His mercy and love is without limit. He forgives us repeatedly. He loves us despite what we are. He wants nothing more than our hearts. He deeply desires His children to seek His face and trust Him. He knows His ways are best and if we would simply have faith to live as He designed us to live, we would enjoy untold blessings. What struck me this morning is the affirmation God shows to me despite how far I am from being that perfect child He deserves. What security! What contentment! To know God forgives and affirms is the ultimate truth by which to live.
When David prays this prayer, he is fully confident God will do as he requests. He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God will indeed forgive him. Later in this psalm, David asks that the joy of God’s salvation for him would be restored. This, too, is a request asked in faith without wavering or doubting. David can ask these things because He knows the God whom he loves and serves. He has learned by experience that God loves him even though he has screwed up time and again. David is not riding the success of Goliath. He is not confident because he has had several victories. Following Goliath, David occasioned the death of the priests at Nob. David lost his temper with Nabal. He also misjudged his own tribe and almost lost all the men he had with him. David lost his wives, children, and belongings while hiding out with the Philistines. It was only because God sent someone to show him where he could recover all that he lost that he was able to save face with his army. David lost his first wife, twice. David’s son raped his daughter and lost three more sons because of it. There are many mistakes David had in his life. One thing he never doubted, however, was the mercy and affirmation of God. He never wavered in knowing that God loved him even though he had failed God. This is why he could pray the prayer he did above when he had an affair with another man’s wife.
There is an ah-ha moment we all have to face. We have to stop trying to impress God. We have to stop trying to earn God’s love. There is nothing we can do that accomplishes this. God loves us. Period! He forgives any and all sin so long as we confess to Him our regret and sorrow over it. As long as we truly desire to forsake our sin, even if after time, we do it again, God forgives! Why? Because He is God. Mercy is no less an attribute of God than His omnipotence or justice. He is equally loving and forgiving as He is just and right. Many saints vacillate between the affirmation God offers and their sense of self-justification. We think we have to prove something. We think if we simply try harder God will love and affirm us more than He does. There is a difference between recognizing what we have done for Him by the words, “Well done though faithful servant” and personal affirmation of love and worth. God affirms our value to Him, His love for us, and our worth as a person regardless of how we serve Him. In fact, it is the infinite love and affirmation that should be the motive for dedication and service. Not to earn it, but because we have it. How wonderful God’s love is toward the children of men!
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