“You, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
Full of Mercy
Toward everyone who calls out to You.”
Psalm 86:5
David was clearly going through a rough time. I can picture him with his head in his hands,
downcast in his heart. alone, and very sad. We don’t know what was going on in his life, but he was doing what he often did . . . going to God and pouring out his heart. He was feeling
oppressed and needy. He was also aware that he could not fix the situation that was weighing on him so heavily. He was reminding himself of the truths of God’s character that he had learned from his own experiences with Him, since he was a little boy.
We all have those rough times in our lives, and we handle them in our own ways. I tend to pull away from people, primarily because I don’t want to make somebody else feel pressured to help me. I usually turned inward and tried to work through my problem alone.
Maybe David did
something like that, too. We don’t know. But this glimpse into his heart gives us a hint of where he turned with his times of sadness. He turns to God.
David specifically mentions that God is good. Is that what you believe? It sets the stage for
David’s foundational mode of viewing God and how He relates to us.
● God is good. . . just as a father or mother wants only good things to come to their
child…shielding them from the bad. A good father protects, provides, has good plans for
his children, and is always watching out for their good.
● God is forgiving. Children are always in a learning mode. They want to try things, do
things they see others doing, and chase after what they want, good or bad. Children try
a lot of things . . . some good, some bad. Those early years of exploration of their world
come with a lot of mistakes…messes….disasters…and ‘ow-ee’s. There are lots of
sheepish “I’m sorry’s” in the mix. In God, there is always forgiveness for failures.
● God is full of Mercy….for everyone who asks. He knows our human weakness. We
can look into our own hearts to consider what He is like….and how He has treated you
personally, and all of humanity. We humans don’t always show mercy to those who
have hurt us. But God does. David’s simple, short list exposes how he sees God’s
heart and His response to our failures.
May we continue to grow in these beautiful qualities that God models for us, His children.
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