The Lord Is Merciful!
One thing God has spoken, two things that I have heard: that God has strength and that you, Lord, have mercy. Surely you will repay each person according to what he has done. (Psalm 62:11–12)
This week, as we’ve looked at readings that concerned obedience to the Sabbath laws, we look at David’s words from Psalm 62. In these words, David reminds us how God works. He does not save us because we deserve it, but because of his mercy.
When David received forgiveness from God for the sins that he had committed, he heard two things from God. First, he heard of God’s strength. He heard how powerful God is, that he can forgive sins and he can control all things. He also heard that God is merciful. Even though he has the power to crush us, he forgives us and directs all things for our good. God does not treat us as our sins deserve. But he does promise to reward us for the good that we do out of thanks to him.
When we looked at the Pharisees insisting on obedience to their man-made laws, they were not focused on God’s strength and his mercy. They were focused on being rewarded for their deeds. But without God’s mercy, we do not want to be repaid for our deeds. And Jesus showed the Pharisees, and us, God’s mercy. He was the embodiment of God’s mercy as he hung on the cross for our sins. He showed God’s strength by making himself weak in our place. That’s what God’s forgiveness means for us. Amen.
The song for today is “Psalm 62” by Aaron Keyes