Nothing But a Cry for Mercy

Meditations on the Psalms

August 17, 2022

Nothing But a Cry for Mercy

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

    and I did not hide my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.     Sē’lah

Psalm 32:5 (NRSV)

Many years ago, in my law enforcement career, I met a teenage boy who was the victim of an assault. Several years later, I heard he was facing many criminal charges and that his life was a mess.  In his despair, he had tried to take his own life, and I visited him in the hospital. In our visit, I shared with him how God had been working in my life, and I encouraged him to not give up. As we prayed together, I felt his tears dropping on my hands.

The next day, he called me. He said that after our visit, he had taken the Gideon Bible off the bedside table and opened it. The first passage he saw was Psalm 32. As we talked, it was clear my friend was experiencing the joy of those “whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” and the happiness of “those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2 NRSV). My friend had absolutely nothing he could offer God, nothing but a cry for mercy, based on Christ’s love for him. He cried out, God forgave him and crowned him with new life in Christ.

My friend, Bud Harkey, was a student at Asbury College in 1970 when God moved in a mighty way, and many, many lives were transformed. He told me the igniting point was when a member of the Asbury community confessed her sin and cried out to God for forgiveness. After that there were Chapel services, for weeks, where students would give their witness. They would talk about how God was dealing with them about sin in their life, and then they told how God had brought forgiveness and restoration. Then somebody in the audience would say, ‘that’s like me,’ and then that person would come under conviction and come forward and kneel at the altar.

My young friend’s experience was the same. He humbly, authentically, confessed his sin to God and cried out for forgiveness, and then he experienced forgiveness and restoration. Many churches try desperately to connect to their community, to get their neighbors to come to church. Perhaps, if those churches first got on their faces and humbly, authentically, confessed their sin to God and cried out for forgiveness, perhaps God would move, not only in their lives, but their community as well.

My Takeaway: No, not perhaps. Pray, trust Psalm 32, and God will fulfill His Word:

It is the same with my word.

    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.

It will accomplish all I want it to,

    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

Isaiah 55:11

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.