Tag Archives: mercy of God

I Need God’s Mercy

25 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 143

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 143:1-6
A psalm of David.
LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land (NIV). *

L Kranz 2023-09-15

Algonquin Park — photo by L. Kranz

Reflection
On my best day, I need God’s mercy. On my worst day my need for outside help and mercy are visible to all. In truth, my need for the mercy of the LORD is never ending. All too often, we only call out to God in times of need or perceived difficulty. In reality, our need for God’s help and mercy are constant.

Here in Psalm 143, as he so often does, David calls out for God’s mercy. In many respects David’s plea for mercy is rather repetitive throughout the psalms. Why would this be? Could it be that he is in constant need of God’s sustaining support and mercy? From the following request, we can see why David repeatedly prays for God’s mercy: Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

David recognized that within himself he had no righteousness. This is the starting point for a life transforming relationship with God. Contrary to a good deal of modern psychology and religious philosophy, we are not okay. We have a warped nature that is inclined to sin. It delights in rebelling against God. St. Paul describes this human condition with these words. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Romans 7:18).

The prophet Isaiah described this universal human condition in this way. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away (Isaiah 64:6).

Do I need God’s mercy? Yes, a thousand times yes!

Response: LORD God, I need your righteousness. My own righteousness is tainted with pride. I freely acknowledge my need for a Savior. You are my constant help.  I thirst for you like a parched land. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you aware of your constant need for God’s mercy? Are you calling out to Him?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Showing Compassion

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 137, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 137b -325

Reading: Psalm 137:7-9

Father God,
at times I have been guilty of schadenfreude.
Help me to show compassion
rather than smug indifference
when I see others experience loss, or suffering.
Thank you for your ongoing mercy.
Amen.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,
he had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
So he began teaching them many things.
(Mark 6:34), NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

 

Schadenfreude in the Psalms

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 137, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 137:7-9
Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks (NIV). *

pxl_20240306_093546342

Carcassonne Castle, France — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
German is a fascinating language. It’s a language that seems to specialize in compound words—short words that are combined to form longer words. Some English language examples of compound words are homerun, overcoat, and windshield.

Schadenfreude is a compound German word. It’s such a useful and descriptive word that it has migrated into the English language, and it can be found in any quality English dictionary. Schaden means harm or damage. Freude means joy. Simply put schadenfreude means joy experienced at another person’s expense—rejoicing in someone else’s suffering or loss.

Today’s reading from Psalm 137 is all about schadenfreude. The Edomites celebrated the destruction of Jerusalem. Rather than mourn over their neighbor’s calamity, they joined in calling for the destruction of the Jewish capital.

This manifestation of schadenfreude was rooted in centuries of fraternal rivalry and envy. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, while the people of Jerusalem were the descendants of Jacob. These two people groups were linked by heredity, language, and culture, and yet generation after generation they continued this brothers’ feud.

This psalm is not the only biblical counsel for us to avoid rejoicing in other people’s harm: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them (Proverbs 24:17-18).

If the LORD is punishing the evildoer, we should not appear too smug. We are spared by the grace of God and not by our moral superiority. The self-righteous suffer from delusions of pride. It’s best not to identify with that camp. The opposite response is called for. Rather than crowing over someone else’s misfortune, we should be offering help or drawing lessons on how to avoid a similar calamity.

When I see others experiencing calamity, I need to replace my schadenfreude with the genuine joy found in extending mercy, grace, and compassion. 

Response: LORD God, at times I have been guilty of schadenfreude. Help me to show compassion rather than smug indifference when I see others experience loss. Thank you for your ongoing mercy. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you experienced schadenfreude? How do you keep it in check?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Harsh Judgment or Mercy

02 Tuesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 137

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 137_1-6 -365

Reading: Psalm 137:1-6

Father God,
I don’t want to learn things the hard way.
I want to be quick to obey you.
Help me to learn from the lessons of history,
and the Bible.
You are the one, true God.
I worship you.
Amen.

 So when you, a mere human being,
pass judgment on them
and yet do the same things,
do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
Or do you show contempt for the riches
of his kindness, forbearance and patience,
not realizing that God’s kindness
is intended to lead you to repentance?
(Romans 2:3-4), NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

 

The God Who Forgives

13 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 130

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 130 -365

Reading: Psalm 130:1-4

Father God,
I thank you for forgiveness.
I have failed you many times,
but you are rich in mercy.
You are a patient God.
Thank you for destroying the record of my sins.
Thank you for the blood Jesus shed
so I could be washed clean.
Amen.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
(Psalm 103:8-12, NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

My Moral Poverty

13 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 130

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 130:1-4
A song of ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
LORD, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
LORD, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you (NIV). *

a tattooed man praying while holding a book

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Reflection
Psalm 130 is a perfect example of a psalm that brings us into the private inner sanctum of communion with God. Here is a portrait of a fallen man—a man on his knees before his Maker, the eternal One. Hear him now as he agonizes in prayer, “Out of the depths I cry out to you, O LORD; O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

The opening lines of this psalm leave little doubt as to what has transpired. The psalmist has failed; he has missed the mark. He has transgressed, yet again. There is an abject poverty of spirit reflected in these words—a poverty that almost makes us cringe.

We do not know what sin, or list of sins has brought the psalmist to this wretched state. The transgression is left unstated. Was it anger, malice, or unbridled lust? Was it pride, greed, or wilful dishonesty? Was this a transgression of the mind, of the tongue, of action or inaction? God knows.

I am always somewhat skeptical of those who claim they could never commit this or that sin. I think we rarely comprehend the depravity of our own hearts. Pushed into wrong circumstances, in the wrong environment, with the wrong peer group, who can plumb the depths to which a man or woman may sink? I can identify with the psalmist. I have added my own pile of dung to this world’s heap of moral filth. I too have found myself in the psalmist’s position, sobbing out these words, “Out of the depths I cry out to you, O LORD; O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.“

But despite my failings, despite my moral poverty, this great God—this God of holiness—is approachable. He is a God of mercy. The psalmist reminds himself and the LORD of His merciful nature with these words: If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I need daily reminders of God’s forgiveness and mercy. God the moral accountant is also the LORD of forgiveness. No one does forgiveness better than God. When we confess our sins, He destroys the record. What accountant does that?

Response: Father God, I thank you for forgiveness. I have failed you many times, but you are rich in mercy. You are a patient God. Thank you for destroying the record of my sins. Thank you for the blood Jesus shed so I could be washed clean. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been guilty of digging up the record of your sins—sins that have been forgiven? What do you do to be reminded of God’s mercy and forgiveness?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

4485 SHARABLE-2

Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

You Are a Chosen People

12 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 129

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 129 -365

Reading: Psalm 129

Father God,
I pray for those who are facing severe persecution,
whatever their faith may be.
But I pray especially for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Have mercy on them
and protect them for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.

But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:9-10), NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

4485 FACEBOOK-1

Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

An Open Heart

05 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 123

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 123 -365

Reading: Psalm 123

Father God,
I come before you now.
I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
Be merciful to me, Lord.
Speak to me.
Correct me if I need correction.
Give me direction.
I am ready to receive instruction from you.
I am your servant. 
Amen.

Show me your ways, LORD,
    teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:4-5), NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Love the LORD

11 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 31, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

I will praise the LORD!

Psalm 112_4

Reading: Psalm 31:21-24

Praise be to the LORD,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.
Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
    The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the LORD. *

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

You Clothed Me with Joy

28 Sunday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 30, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

I will praise the LORD!

img_20230506_1121442

Azalias in bloom, Surrey, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 30:6-12

When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
LORD, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.
To you, LORD, I called;
    to the LORD I cried for mercy:
“What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
    LORD, be my help.”
You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    LORD my God, I will praise you forever. *

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.