Scripture: Psalm 4:1
Answer me when I cry out, my righteous God! Set me free from my troubles! Have mercy on me! Listen to my prayer!
Thought for the Day: Mercy is an interesting word – often associated with someone crying out to the Lord. The Hebrew word we translate as Mercy could be translated as gracious, to show consideration or even pity. Each of those potential translations has important meaning, but I look to one of the parables of Jesus to find more insight – specifically the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18). In that parable, the Tax Collector is more than humble. It appears as if he is broken, realizing his utter lostness in the world. His prayer is not elaborate or poetic. He simply says, “God have mercy on me for I am a sinner.” I’ve always thought of mercy as God’s power to stabilize and change the life of a truly repentant person. It’s not that God holds back mercy to those without repentance, but I do not believe the gift is appreciated or utilized until one genuinely recognizes the need.
Prayer: O God, have mercy on me for I am broken, lost and empty. Amen.
