Remembering God’s Mercy When I Feel Like I Don’t Deserve It - Your Nightly Scripture - August 17th
Remembering God’s Mercy When I Feel Like I Don’t Deserve It
Evening Scripture
Psalm 103
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
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.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Evening Reflection
Our human nature seeks to get what we deserve. For us, we want to get the good we’ve earned. For others, we often seek punishment for their sins, their wrongs, especially those done against us, to get what they deserve in a negative light. Unfortunately, to seek what we and others deserve leads us all to destruction. Fortunately, God doesn’t deal with us according to what we deserve. He forgives and seeks to lead us to redemption through correction and repentance, culminating in a loving relationship. This is God’s mercy.
Psalm 103 gives us insight into God’s mercy. He both redeems us from destruction (what we deserve) and crowns us with his great mercy and lovingkindness (which we don’t). He forgives our sin. His mercy is immeasurable, as high as the heavens above the earth (the heavens include stars and planets). Further, he remembers our weakness, frailty, and inability. How easily we fade away. Therefore, he translates us into what is immortal and eternal, his mercy, which goes “from everlasting to everlasting.”
When we intentionally remember God’s great mercy for his people, for us, the song gives us the only proper response: bless God! Praise his name. Turn our souls to lifting up his name and glorifying him. For he alone is worthy and has done so much for us.
Evening Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I choose to bless your holy name and praise you with all my soul. You don’t treat me as my sins and rebellion deserved, but you forgive, redeem, and restore me by your great love and mercy. You rescue me from destruction and then crown me with compassion.
Teach me to give up my demand for what I deserve and to trust your mercy instead. Help me extend the same mercy to others, even when I feel wronged. Remind me of my own weakness and your eternal compassion that stretches beyond what I can measure. Turn my heart to gratitude and worship. When people see me, may they see your mercy through my repentance, love, and relationship with you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
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