After the Arrows!

In our last lesson we found that conviction is an act of God‘s mercy. He desires our fellowship and will bring painful conviction, if necessary, to bring us back in to fellowship with Him. Psalm 38:2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. But what happens after the arrows, and after I confess my sin and repent? MERCY, flows over us to cleanse, and heal, and restore, us back into His favor.

David had that experience in one of his most treasured hymns, Psalm 51. There is so much that can be said of this Psalm, obviously, but I want to just comment on the first verse. As you know it centers around his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

What has brought David to this place? Two things. 1. His deplorable sin. 2. The wounds of a friend to convict him. God had sent Nathan to confront David. The first part of Psalm 141:5 says: Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil. . . .

We have all been at this fork in the road in our spiritual walk, sin, and conviction. There are but two directions to travel, the road to mercy or the road to disgrace. David traveled down the road to mercy. Aren’t you glad, for who among us has not benefited from this cherished hymn of David. It is like salve on a sore, a balm to our wounded hearts, a lift to our fallen spirits, which sin so easily causes. It is to me the 1 John 1:9 of the Old Testament.

Listen to his prayer for mercy. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. He does not plead for mercy on the basis of his faithfulness over the past, neither on his position as King of Israel, nor on what he can become if God will be merciful to him. He pleads for mercy on the basis of, well, God’s mercifulness. Nothing else will be sufficient. Only the God of mercy can cleanse such a sinful stain. Here is a grand promise based upon God’s mercy. Isaiah 43:25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isn’t that marvelous!

I found this grand old hymn from The Psalter, 1912; God Be Merciful to Me. Meditate on it as you meditate on David’s plea for mercy.

God, be merciful to me
On Thy grace I rest my plea;
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within,
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions I confess,
Grief and guilt my soul oppress;
I have sinned against Thy grace
And provoked Thee to Thy face;
I confess Thy judgment just,
Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.

I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Savior art,
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice
And in gladness hear Thy voice;
From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true;
Cast me not away from Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation's joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

Will we be willing to confess, repent, and follow after Him? God’s mercy will cleanse and restore us to favor with Him. The result is to have the joy of our salvation returned to our fallen spirits.

Have a wonderful days serving our Wonderful Lord, by Grace Alone!