Opening Prayer: Lord, God we know You have promised in Your Word to be our guide through the maze of life. The obstacles can be overwhelming. Warning signs are not necessarily posted at the pitfalls. The road to obedience is narrow and many times difficult to navigate. The temptation to take the broad highways of socially acceptable behavior seems at times to be irresistible. Yet, our love for You and the sacrifice You made for us continually draws us back to Your warm companionship. Back to the hope of security. Have mercy on us for our love for You is passionate and immeasurable. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Today’s Bible Verse: Psalm 25:5-7
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You, I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
Associated Scriptures:
…because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long. Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift my soul. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble, I will call to You, for You will answer me (Psalms 86:3-7).
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Correlative Quotes:
The little child as they begin to walk, asks to be still led onward by its parent's helping hand and to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth. Experimental teaching is the burden of this prayer. Lead me according to Your truth, and prove Yourself faithful; lead me into the truth that I may know its preciousness, lead me by the way of truth that I may manifest its spirit. David knew much, but he felt his ignorance and desired to be still in the Lord's school; four times over in these two verses he applies for a scholarship in the college of grace.[1] – Charles Spurgeon
O how does one deep call upon another! The depths of my multiplied miseries, calls, loudly calls, upon the depth of Your manifold mercies; even that mercy whereby You pardon my sin and help mine infirmities; that mercy whereby You sanctify me by Your grace and comfort me by Your Spirit; that mercy whereby You deliver me from hell and possess me in heaven. [2]– Bishop Robert Mossom
He (David) intimates, that if God should deal with him according to the rigor of the law, not only the sins of yesterday, or of a few days, would come into judgment against him, but all instances in which he had offended, even from his infancy, might now with justice be laid to his charge.[3] – John Calvin
Author’s Notes:
Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).
INTRODUCTION
David has placed all of his hope in the God of mercy. He emphasizes the longing to grow into God’s plan. He has plans for all His chosen children to grow spiritually (2 Peter 3:18.) David requests God's mercy, grace, and lovingkindness hoping for the promise of spiritual maturity (vs. 1).
Mercy and grace are very similar. They have the opposite meaning but the same result. God’s mercy gives seekers eternal life. They don’t get what they do deserve. Grace also offers eternal life to those who believe. Since grace is a gift and cannot be earned, believers do get what they don’t deserve. They receive eternal life. When we speak of God’s grace, we envision the gift of guaranteed eternal life freely given to those who don’t deserve it.
David recognized Gods’ loving-kindness as the spark that ignites mercy and grace. As he calls on God’s love, David perceives the power love will bring through a new life.
Our Father’s love is like the cool breeze on a hot summer’s day. It encircles the body, evaporating the suffocating perspiration of life. The cooling circulation eases the uncomfortable feeling of humid encapsulation and frees the person to move uninhibited. Finally, the soft coolness accelerates life’s energy to a higher threshold, allowing for renewed enthusiasm and accomplishment. God’s love refreshes the soul and the spirit to move beyond the severity of this world’s trials and temptations.
GOD’S MERCY
Truth comes only from God’s Word. Jesus is the truth mentioned in John 14:6: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We have learned over the years that there is no spiritual truth to be found in the world. Other religions and cults espouse their truth, but it falls short of satisfying the eternal needs of their followers. False doctrines may give temporary relief. However, Long-term comfort, strength, and wisdom come from God. They come to us through His Word given to us by His Spirit.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26).
Knowing God’s Word is the first step in the spiritual growth process. We can only know God if we know His teachings. David is asking God to be his teacher. As it was in David, it is in us. Spiritual teaching is accomplished through the work of the Spirit.
There is no beginning and no end to the mercy of God. Just as our salvation is secured by the seal of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), God’s mercy is secured by the hope of eternal life.
John 10:28 establishes this security: I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jesus gives us eternal life. Jesus gives His children eternal life. As a result, they will not perish. This is a guarantee by the power that created all things. The grasp of the almighty cannot be broken. So, nothing can take His chosen from Jesus’ hand. We are secured by the hope cemented in this statement.
Security fosters hope. 1 Peter 1:3 encourages us: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We all feel guilty for our disobedience to God. We should be continually thankful that our transgressions have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:7 points out: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
The blood of Jesus purifies believers. The sin of those who confess will be cleansed and forgotten. In 1 John 1:9 God relates: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. The process of cleansing means that we are continually receiving cleansing from past and future indiscretions.
God’s mercy is born and manifests itself in His love. His compassion has also been simultaneously demonstrated by His unending tolerance and abiding love. Final absolution is anchored in the cross, the resurrection, and the hope of eternal life. God’s unearned favor is confirmed by the confidence in the continual cleansing of our sins. Finally, His tolerance is spread to all who are saved by God’s great devotion to His own.
How can we not praise Him? How can we not worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23)?
Spiritual Application:
David understood that salvation was a gift of faith (Hebrews 11:32). However, faith must be patient. David states (vs. 5c, NKJV), …on You I wait all day. Charles Spurgeon writes, “Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we will not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life.”[4]
David seeks the Lord’s truth and prays to be taught from His Word. Hope will come only from Yahweh. David hopes God will show grace and mercy by forgiving and forgetting the indiscretions of his youth. He cries out for his Father’s love.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).
All things include God’s mercy.
Lessons within the Lesson:
In what way is our hope built on God’s Word? Read Psalm 119:74.
How is our security as a believer assurance of the hope of eternity? Read Romans 8:38-39.
How is our hope established by continual cleansing? Read 1 John 1:7-9.
How is God’s love related to our hope? Read 1 Corinthians 13:13.
[1] Charles Spurgeon, Psalm 25:5, Treasury of David, Ibid, P. 392.
[2] Bishop Robert Mossom, Psalm 25, Treasury of David, Vol. I Public Domain, Marshall Brothers, Ltd. Publishers London, Edinburgh and New York. P. 401-2.
[3] John Calvin, Psalm 25:7, Treasury of David, Vol. I Public Domain, Marshall Brothers, Ltd. Publishers London, Edinburgh and New York. P. 402.
[4] Charles Spurgeon, Psalm 25:5-7, Treasury of David, Ibid, P. 338.