By Jena Kleinpeter

Ps 6:1-3 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

This passage can mean many things to many people, but I want to focus on the mercy of God. David wrote this during a time of severe illness. He thought God allowed him to be sick because God was angry with him, so he appealed to God’s grace and mercy for forgiveness. Some question God when illness strikes. We wonder if God is punishing us for something we did or did not do, but is that all there is to this dilemma of life.

In the health care profession, I have heard many patients question God. Not all sickness is God disciplining us for sin in our lives.  Sometimes sickness just reminds us we live in a world filled with the corruption of decay and disease.  But in every situation we can see God’s mercy in action.

What is mercy? One definition is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone, instead of using one’s power to punish or harm.” Another is “a love that responds to human need in an unexpected or unmerited way.” At its core, it is forgiveness or unmerited favor. That is exactly what David needed during his time of distress.

Did David deserve God’s mercy? If God only gave us what we deserve, would any of us live long and fruitful lives? God in his mercy sustains us instead of giving us what we deserve. Thank God!

Edited by Teena Myers, SCW Chairman

Jena Kleinpeter‘s Word of the Day is a work in progress. She hopes to publish a 365 day devotional on the book of Psalms. Visit https://jenakleinpeter.com/ for more devotions in Psalms.