A Prayer for Mercy
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Sometimes I don’t know why things happen up here in this pulpit like they do. I make plans and work on sermon ideas, usually have a pretty good idea of what’s happening from week to week up here...But every now and then...God changes things up. Sometimes with less than an hours notices.
Not exactly who this is meant for. I have a feeling it may be for me...not sure. But here we are.
For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.
And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O Lord—how long?
Return, O Lord, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.
All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.
Let’s break this down verse by verse.
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
Rebuke - Judge, to decide, to convict
In Your Anger -
Anger - 172x
Wrath 42x
Face 22x
Nostrils 13x
Nose 12x
So for as many times as this word is tranlated WRATH...it is translate FACE, Nostril, or Nose.
What does that mean? I will tell you...It means that God is so angry his face is distorted. Or He is breathing heavy.
David is asking God...Please do not get so angry with me that you start breathing heavy or your face changes.
Tonya does not have to wonder what I am thinking 99% of the time. Because my face says it all.
And there is an eleven step progression.
Blank stare
Pursed lips
To the side.
Eye roll
SHM
Breathing heavy
Big exhale
Hands on hips
Heavy breathing continues
Back to the pursed lips
Crossed arms
My expressions tell the tale. David was imagining God’s expressions.
Do not chasen me with your wrath
To chasen is to punish or rebuke.
With your wrath...FURY.
It is deeper than a facial expression. It is deeper than disgust.
We have identified 4 stages of Anger
Catalyst (Trigger)
Crescendo (Escalation)
Crisis (Explosion)
Calm (Recovery)
In the Crescendo stage...
Mild Annoyance (Internal)
Frustration (Transition)
Hostility (External)
Rage/Explosion (Nuclear) Fury
David is asking God...please don’t let your face change...and I really don’t punish me in your fury.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.
Now David is asking for Grace and Mercy. This word is translated equally between grace and mercy in the OT.
In our world...
Mercy is us NOT getting what we deserve.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve
Mercy is when God spares us from Hell
Grace is when God grants us Heaven
I am weak. (This is the only time this word/phrase is used in OT)
I can feel this weakness in my bones. It is so internal...I’m dying here.
And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O Lord—how long?
Not just my bones...It is in my soul. This weakness, this disturbance has met me in my core. It has touched the core of my being.
But You, O Lord — how long?
How long will I have to wait?
How long will I have to suffer?
How close to death will I come?
How long must I wait before You come to me?
Return, O Lord, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
Here is the ask...RETURN and RESCUE MY SOUL
This gives us the idea that God had moved away from David.
David felt alone. He may have felt abandoned. Obviously weak. Perhaps scared.
This is a bad place to be.
This was David...a man after God’s own heart.
This was also David the Warrior, David the King, David the adulterer, David the murderer, David the manipulator.
But let us not forget, he was also a man after God’s own heart.
He was David the musician who soothed the ravenous king.
He was David the Courageous who stood against Goliath.
And here we see David the weak...crying out to God for deliverance. Crying out for salvation.
SAVE ME BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS. (Show my your Mercy)
For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
When we die...we will either be with God or eternally separated from God. Outside of His presence forever.
And if we are with him...fantastic.
If not...there will be no more giving of thanks. Because in Hell...you will either hate God and resent Him because you think He put you there....or you will hate yourself for not believing in Him will you had a chance. Either way...no thanks given.
I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
This is the cry of a broken man,
I’m tired of sighing. I’m tired of being despondent. I’m weary of being sad, depressed.
I cry so much I feel like I am swimming in my tears.
My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
Cool little nugget. 6 years ago this week we reopened our church during Covid.
WRAL wanted to do a news article on me and my decision to reopen our church during a pandemic. And they put this article on facebook. There were 353 comments on this articel. I know this because I saved it. I found it again by accident this week.
I decided to pick out a few of the winners for you to enjoy.
Shayne Robinson: yes, please go to church and pack it out. This country needs less stupidity and less religion anyway.
Denise Barnes: Goooo...go to church, go to Walmart, go to the mall, go where you wish, just hurry up and do it. We are tired of hearing you whine and if you just go, we won't have to hear it anymore. Some of you will never be heard again. Good luck with your ignorance.
Jessica Hackney Williams: Gotta keep those tithes coming in, no matter who’s family members has to die to make a buck. If your pastor cares more about money than your wellbeing you might be at the wrong church.
Scott Beck: From his look his obesity will let him meet his maker sooner than most. Lock him up.
Luther A Sumerlin: And if they get sick they should be banned from receiving medical treatment. Since they want to take risks, let their God save them.
Dayana Page I read this comment: "Let them open who effing cares anymore? I am over it already! Fighting to save dummies from themselves. God will bless them and the mortician will dress them!!! " Accurate...
Megan McGrady Papalia: Moron!
At some point and time...we will all experience something from our adversaries. Because we all have the same adversary
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
David said his eyes had wasted away from grief because of his adversaries.
Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
Depart from me you sinners.
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
God hears us. God knows our weaknesses. God knows our infirmities. God knows our struggles.
God knows, He hears, He listens, He cares.
The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.
If we remain faithful. If we remain steadfast. If we hold on to God, hold on to Jesus...the Lord receives our prayers.
All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.
I don’t have to go back and respond to these Covid Critics.
Jesus fights my battles.
And my enemies will be greatly dismayed.
They shall turn back and be ashamed.
One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
And all of these people who are living it up right now. With no regard to Jesus, no regard to God, no regard to the Holy things. These people have been given opportunities to follow God. And they will reject those opportunities and God will give them the desires of their heart. To be separated from God. That what Hell is...eternal separation from God.
Not to mention the torment, and fire, and brimstone, and sulfur and the suffering. It’s going tbe horrific. It’s going to be tragic. It’s going to be terrible. It’s also going to be eternal.
A Cry for MERCY
“Compassion for the miserable.” Logos
Are you miserable this morning?
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
