There’s Mercy and Then There’s MERCY!

For well over a year I have been mulling over the use of the word mercy. Why? I’ll explain later; but for starters, I will begin with its definition.

Extending mercy can mean “to show great kindness or compassion toward the distressed.” It can be used in expressing surprise or fear (My mother used to say, ‘Lord, have mercy!’ when she was upset or startled.) But mercy can also be defined as “the withholding of a just condemnation.” For example, in our judicial system an individual facing a judge for sentencing may plead for mercy, admit their fault, humble themselves and beg for leniency. It’s up to the judge to grant mercy. But the need for full recompense may be necessary for a lesson to be learned, thus no mercy would be extended.

And then there’s the act of extending mercy to a child or young person who is facing a needed discipline. Even though guilty, he or she may plead for mercy. Obviously, in the mind of the child or teenager the expected discipline would be unbearable. In either case, mercy may not be granted since the one in authority—in this case, the parent—may feel that discipline is necessary, putting into practice the biblical principle to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Will the child or teen be able to understand that the parent’s actions are being done in love, that mercy and love go hand-in-hand? Immaturity may be a factor in not appreciating this truth.

With all of that being said, the beginning of my musing over the word mercy actually began when I heard the song Wonderful Savior on David Ramirez’s CD, Backslider. The song is passionate and soulful, but a repeated stanza caught my attention: “If You choose for me not to grant me mercy.” I considered for a long time the thought behind those words. Does the song writer actually believe God withholds mercy?  So I began my journey of searching the Scriptures and other reliable sources for an answer.

From a biblical perspective, I fully understand that the Bible records many references showing that God is a God of mercy.

“God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

From this verse alone we can confidently claim that God’s mercy is rooted in His love for us. But to help us grasp the depth of this love and faithfulness, we also learn that:

God’s mercy not only shows us who He is, but also tells us something essential about ourselves. That we have been shown mercy means not only that we didn’t deserve His favour, but that we deserved His righteous hammer against the anvil of justice (David Mathis, Executive Editor of desiringGod.org).

Further, through His love and faithfulness, God grants mercy in two ways. First, upon repentance of sin or transgressions:

“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5).

As seen in the following Psalm, King David clearly acknowledges his transgressions—his sin of adultery and murder—and God grants him mercy.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).

Matthew Henry, the 17th/18th century minister and author from Wales clearly and vividly explains what God does with a sinner’s sins: “He casts their sins into the sea; not near the shore-side, where they may appear again, but into the depth of the sea, never to rise again.” An act of mercy we can never grasp!

Second, God grants mercy when one faces scorn and contempt from the proud and arrogant, and we can take comfort in knowing that “the mercy of God will triumph over the contempt of the proud” (Enduring Word, Psalm 123, David Guzik). Again in the Scriptures King David passionately cries out for mercy from the LORD, not for the forgiveness of sin but for a release from distress. And God is merciful:

“Listen to my words, LORD, consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray….Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:1-2, 12).

In Longing for Home, Stephen Yuille shares how God in His mercy will act on our behalf when we are tormented and distressed:

When we experience opposition, we can be certain that God will have mercy upon us. Now this mercy may come in one of two ways: God will either remove us from the trouble or He will support us in trouble. Understanding this point is absolutely crucial: God doesn’t always remove us from a bad situation, [with all the appearances of not granting mercy!], but He always supports us. How? Through His Word, He revives [quickens] our sense of His distinguishing [unmistakable] love (emphasis added).

To strengthen this summation, Matthew Henry adds:

When our spirits are overwhelmed by distress, and filled with discouragement; when we see snares laid for us on every side, while we walk in His way, we may reflect with comfort that the Lord knows our path….In every prayer a good man lifts up his soul to God; especially when in trouble. We desire mercy from Him; we hope He will show us mercy, and we will continue waiting on Him till it [mercy] come (emphasis added).

However, as finite mortals, we don’t want to wait! We want God to shower us with mercy and answer our prayers now, to restore prodigals now, to heal relationships now, in our time and not in His. We fail to understand, as the child or teenager failed to understand the actions of his earthly father, that our heavenly Father seeks only the best for us. What may appear to be His withholding of mercy is actually His mercy shrouded in love that goes beyond our understanding.

I believe Stephen Yuille and Matthew Henry answer the question, Does God actually withhold mercy?  No, He never does. Perhaps our wanting things done our way and in our time causes us to think God is appearing merciless, but what we are unable to comprehend is the mind of God! He has His own purposes and timing for all that happens in our lives. He may choose to allow us to continue in our struggles, our sorrows, our disappointments, and yes, even in our choices, but we can know, without a doubt, that He will never leave us alone as we journey through life.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Yuille and Henry encourage us to “continue waiting on Him till it [mercy] come.” In other words, we are to press on and trust! When we are faced with turmoil and uncertainty, when life seems to be hammering at us from every direction, we must believe that God is hearing our prayers and our “cry for help,” and that all we have to do is wait and trust in Him.

“As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 18:30).

As to the song itself, the phrase: “If You choose for me not to grant me mercy” is an incomplete thought—an incomplete sentence! It is immediately followed by: “Oh, You are there. You are God still, so I’ll press on.”  The thought cannot be broken nor can the words be ignored. Some may think it is a poor choice of lyrics, but further in the song, one hears lyrics that override the one in question: “Cause the testing of my faith develops perseverance which builds my character and brings me hope. You bring me hope and it never disappoints.” Clearly this is an expression of faith and trust in God! And one presses on, “waiting on Him till it [mercy] come.”

Throughout my searching I have feared misinterpreting God’s Word more than anything else. I wanted to be certain that I have not been mislead or worse, mislead others by offering an opinion that is not biblical. My journey has been a bit long and challenging, but satisfying and rewarding. Thank you for taking the time to journey with me.

I will leave you with your thoughts—and mine!— and would welcome any comment!

Here is the song Wonderful Savior.