We Beg for Mercy

Psalm 123

Verse 3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt.

As we were talking about submission yesterday we commented that it was when we submitted to God and constantly look to Him that He will give us mercy. Is that all there is to it?

Our verse today shows that the psalmist knows that he must ask for God’s mercy, beg even. Part of our submitting to God happens because we realize that we are in great need of His mercy. If it weren’t for His being the Supreme Being we wouldn’t need His mercy in the way we do. Mercy is something we seek from those who have the power to give it. If we are being prosecuted in the court of law we don’t seek out the parking lot attendant to have mercy on us, we plead with the judge.

When we take into account the sins in our lives we need to rightly understand who it is we are sinning against. God is the judge who upholds the laws He has given. It is He that we have sinned against and so it is Him that we should seek mercy from. He is the only one that has the ability to show us true, everlasting mercy.

But what should this mercy mean to us? The psalmist points out in our key verse for the day that we have been enduring contempt. A more literal translation is that we have had our fill of contempt. Contempt is receiving scorn, feeling like we are being considered as less than someone else or being considered as worthless. Where submission is us accepting, and to an extent even embracing our lower position, contempt reveals a feeling of being mistreated because of our lower position.

Mercy shows we know our lower position and know that we can’t help ourselves. When we ask God for mercy it shows that we know it is only Him that can help us. This is one reason that asking for God’s mercy is a way we can worship God as we gather to worship Him. When we come into His presence acknowledging that He is the only one that can give us the mercy we need we are in essence saying that He alone is worthy of our worship. Oh that we would see the joy of seeing His being ultimately supreme and worship Him with that in mind.

Making It Personal

What makes you thankful for His mercy? What does His mercy mean to your worship? Does His mercy mean that you are free to sin as you want?

Making It Personal Kids

Does knowing Jesus forgives you make you want to worship Him? What do you need Jesus to forgive you for? Are you going to ask Jesus for mercy about your sin?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for Your mercy. Please forgive us for all the things that we do that lead us to need Your mercy. Teach us the truth of who You are so that we will know the truth of sin before partaking in it. In Jesus’ name, amen.