Psalm 25, 50&67
Need Mercy?
In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee was proud and told God about how righteous he was compared to the tax collector. The tax collector could not lift his head before God and only prayed that God would have mercy on him describing himself as a sinner. Jesus said it was the tax collector who went home justified before God that day.
Like the Pharisee, Judah was proud and was facing exile in Babylon to break the pride. The tax collector recognized he was a sinner and needed God’s mercy. That is the end goal of the exile.
I like to grow lettuce and other plants using hydroponics as a growing method. With this method all the nutrients the plant needs are supplied in the water. I have found that if one nutrient is in short supply (there are 16 needed) the plant will begin to suffer and be unable to resist insects and disease. In very short order these enemies overcome the plant and it is destroyed.
Judah had fallen into sin and became weak. That is when the enemy came in, destroyed the nation,and took the people captive.
I see the same pattern in our lives. When we sin and fall short of God’s best we also open ourselves to attacks from the enemy. The combination brings discouragement, fear, and one defeat after another. Soon our soul is weighed down with guilt and shame and we are in peril. Like the attack on the plant there are two things going on that are causing the problem, the sin and the attack of the enemy. In the attack of the enemy he will also bring confusion and it is often difficult to see the truth of the situation. We may focus on one aspect and deal with that but not both. How do we break this cycle?
David, the man after God’s heart, shows us the way in Psalm 25. He goes to the Lord, pours out his heart, and seeks God’s deliverance and forgiveness. He asks God to show him the right way and the right path. He asks God to lead him in the truth. He, like the tax collector in the parable above, asks for mercy.
We all face these things from time to time. David has given us a good example of what to do when faced with these attacks. For homework today let’s meditate on this Psalm and ask the Lord to show us where we have allowed the enemy to gain a foot hold and an entrance point to bring his attack. Ask the Lord to repair the breach through forgiveness and deliverance.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace
Pastor Dave