346 And Can It Be

Amid unfair treatment by his enemies, David asks God, the Righteous Judge, to listen favorably to him and grant his plea; to render His righteous verdict on the enemies of his soul. David recalls God’s deliverance from temporal and spiritual troubles in former times, pleading past mercies as grounds for present favor. He remembers that God has relieved him in his distress, dashed down the rocks, broken the barriers, and loosed him from the entanglements of his enemy. He cries out to God, conscious of his sin. Trapped by his enemy, David prays for mercy. His prayer directed toward God’s everlasting grace and righteousness. He knows God is the eternal fountain of pardon. David is confident that God will provide a narrow way of escape; He will reveal it through prayer and praise as David approaches God with faith and hope. He escapes into the loving arms of God, putting confinement and suffocation behind him. His heart is enlarged, his love deepened, his understanding increased. By faith, the desires of his soul are set free from the enemy’s pressures.

Let us appeal to the God of righteousness for mercy and strength in the face of calamity and oppression. In the depths of our being, do we find confidence that the Judge of all the earth will do what is right for His children? Though He has every reason to destroy us for our many and great sins, in lovingkindness He has made a way for us through Jesus. Therefore, we flee from His justice to His mercy on which all our hopes are grounded. Through no merit of our own we can petition the God of all righteousness who is Father of all mercies, and God of all comfort. He will grant us freedom from the false accusations and harsh judgments of men. He has slayed the dragon and broken the barriers. He enlarges our hearts with joy and comfort, shattering the chains of grief and sorrow that once imprisoned us. He is our faithful Comforter who will never cease to help us until we cease to have need.

You can ask God to intervene and bring about justice when falsely accused and mistreated by others. He is the God of David’s righteousness, and yours. Will you follow David’s example and call on the God of your righteousness to have mercy on you and hear your prayer? Will you trust Him to do what is right today? Let prayer and praise, faith and hope lead you to the narrow way of escape as you witness His love and liberty extended toward you this day. Declare, “Tis mercy all, immense and free, for, O my God, it found out me!”

When Mercy Triumphs

Love and forgiveness go hand-in-hand. That’s the deal. Some time ago, a former pastor literally pulled me out of my seat at church in a tirade proclaiming that “I will not have that attitude in my church.” My offence was the refusal to sway with the beat of the music. This is where I learned what spiritual embarrassment is. I put the trouble at the feet of Jesus and let Him take care of it. A few months later the church folded. While I may not have taken it to this extreme if it was up to me, God does have His ways which are higher than mine.

Your Turn: Can you think of a time that you let go of an injustice done to you? What was the result? Write it in your journal or record your testimony on your phone. Alternatively, you could start a “Testimony Box” and record times when mercy has triumphed in your life and that of others.