- Mercy
Psalm 32:10
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:
But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
The conditional promise: if you trust in the Lord, then mercy will compass you about. There is a clear contrast given here between the wicked and those who trust in the Lord. Apparently, the wicked do not trust the Lord and believers are not among the wicked, although that is probably not strictly black and white. Nonetheless, the promise from God for each type of person is very different: sorrows vs. mercy. The truster in the Lord also experiences sorrow (for that is common to all human beings) but it is tempered with mercy all around. He can endure the sorrow for he is in the midst of mercy; mercy surrounds him as long as he is trusting in the Lord. The poor wicked unbeliever experiences only sorrows, with no alleviation of mercy, comfort or hope.
The condition of all men, whether believer or unbeliever, is alike, but the response to common human experience is different. The believer is able to respond to sorrow with prayer, thanks, trust, hope and joy while the unbeliever cannot. Mercy makes the difference. Just to know that God loves me no matter how I feel helps; knowing the forgiveness of sins matters; experiencing a comforting word of God mitigates the circumstances. Believing this promise of God’s mercy enables and encourages us to turn to the Lord in the midst of sorrow and trouble. We know He hears our prayer and in mercy and in power is ready to answer. I know mercy surrounds me and overpowers my sorrows. I trust the Lord and pray with confidence.
“The mercies of God” = the blood of Jesus Christ. We have seen the mercy at the cross and the tomb. Now it compasses me about.