- Live
Psalm 119:77
Let thy tender mercies come unto me,
That I may live;
For thy law is my delight.
Tender mercy is once again counted on as the core characteristic that makes up God’s essential nature. God is always merciful; that mercy is tender; that mercy is manifold so that there are thousands of manifestations of God’s mercy experienced in each individual life. Many go unnoticed and unappreciated.
The promise of tender mercies is not in doubt; it is assumed. What may be in doubt is whether those mercies will come to me in my present circumstance. This is my prayer. “I know God is love, but does He love me. I know God loves me, but does He love me now. I know God loves me now, but is He here to give mercy in my need?”
I meet the condition: I delight in the Law of the Lord; I love God’s Word and I sincerely desire to keep all God’s commandments; when I fail daily I repent and come to Him in faith for forgiveness and restoration. Therefore, O God, hear my prayer and let your mercies come to me in my present situation. Forgive my sin and make all things right.
When God hears my prayer and comes to me in mercy (which He does every morning) then I have this promise: “that I may live.” When His mercy is actively working in my spirit I am really alive, living life to the full, and enjoying every moment in His merciful presence. Life is lived in the promised abundance when sin and death are defeated and overcome. With God’s mercies my sin is continually forgiven and I may bask in the sunshine of His goodness to me. And by faith I am truly alive and my delight is to live in obedience to the Law of the Lord. If faith in Jesus and delight in His Law should wane then my living fully wanes as well. The Good News is that I can always come back any time, for mercy and life are always there for me.