Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl.” vs. 16
Psalm 86:14-17
The psalmist was in a tough spot. He had enemies, ruffians who were indifferent to the Lord, and they were seeking his life. At the end of his rope he pleads for God’s intervention and rescue, asking for strength in his time of trouble. He had been trained from his youth that God could be counted on in the rough spots of life. Why was he confident? Because it had been repeated again and again in the scriptures, the refrain was a regular part of worship. “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” If that verse sounds familiar, it should. We continue to repeat these precious words in our liturgies, just as in the time of the psalmist. And we believe them! And we should! We are purveyors of the gospel of grace, and we trust with all our hearts that God is full of compassion and that God can be counted on to give strength in times of suffering and pain. Do we always get rescued? Are we always healed? Of course not, but we are consistently given strength in our suffering, and amazingly enough, in the end that’s really all we need. It is enough to know that we have a God who is full of love and who will not allow even death to have the last word.
Thought for the Day: What’s the last word I’d like to hear?
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