“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” (Psalms 52:8)
David was on the run from Saul. He went to Nob where the high priest, Ahimelech and the priests lived. Ahimelech served David and his men not knowing that David had parted ways with Saul. Doeg, Saul’s chief herder was there and when Saul asked where David was, Doeg told him. Ahimelech was brought before Saul who ordered him killed but none of the soldiers would touch the high priest. Doeg obeyed Saul’s order and beheaded Ahimelech. Then the soldiers went to Nob where they killed all the priests and their whole families. Abiathar, son of Ahimelech was the only one to escape. Abiathar went to David, who then penned this psalm cursing Doeg, except for the last two verses, eight and nine. (1 Samuel chapters 21, 22)
In verse 8 above, David declares his faith in God’s Will and Purpose for his life. At that moment he was fleeing for his life, but he knew that eventually, he would be king. The prophet Samuel had anointed him as a youth. As a shepherd he had trusted in God’s mercy and had seen God’s faithfulness. Even though he was in a dire situation at that moment, he knew God’s Word never failed. (1 Samuel 16:1-13) This was one of the reasons he found such favor in God’s eyes. God told Samuel He had “...sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people...” (1Samuel 13:14) And the LORD made a promise to David, He made to no other man. “... and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” (2Samuel 7:13) In order to be a kingdom forever means it will be divine. This was prophecy that the Messiah Who will reign forever and is God would come from David’s lineage. And it was so. Jesus came from David’s lineage. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)
David declares, “...I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” And we must ask ourselves when we are in grim circumstances, do I trust in God’s mercy? Can we leave the situation completely in God’s hands? Hard as we try, sometimes we can’t. We may try for a short time, then our thoughts turn to that situation, keeping it alive in us, stirring up resentments and regrets and eventually showing up in our actions and eventually causing us to sin. In order to keep from sinning, we must turn to God’s mercy.
There is God’s mercy toward us, the sinner. This is great mercy, forgiving our trespasses and our betrayals. It’s mercy undeserved. When we think on what Jesus did for us, it just pushes all our anger and resentment away. There’s no room for it. His mercy is greater than that memory, that rage and that hostility. His mercy is healing to our soul and brings us peace and comfort.
“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) God’s mercy is not singular. It’s plural and multiple. He doesn’t show us mercy once, but over and over. It fills us, completes us and gives us His rest in our souls (mind, will and emotions).
And God expects us to show mercy. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8) The word “require” puts mercy in perspective. God isn’t suggesting. He is commanding us. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:12-15) In a nutshell, forgive and forget because the Lord has forgiven us much. And peace will come.
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