The Path of Mercy - Part 2

David's Path

As I continue this blog series, I want to remind us of David's prayer. His prayer was a prayer of deliverance from trial, dedication to truth, and desire for tender mercy. It is HIS goodness and mercy that sustains us in time of trial. I'm drawn again to David's prayer in Psalm 25:6-7. David pleaded that God would not remember Him for his transgressions but rather that God would remember him according to His goodness. The beauty of this prayer is that, by running to God, David now had a clear path, the path of mercy.

A few weeks back, I was reading my Bible when I came to Psalm 25. The initial verse that drew my attention was verse 10. The verse jumped off the page as if I heard God say, "Be thankful for your situation. I've chosen the path of mercy for you." I read this verse just a few days after my wife had come through a "memory episode." At some point, my wife and I'll share more of her health story, but I'll provide a brief explanation for the sake of the narrative. My wife goes through "memory episodes" where she loses the majority of her short-term and much of her long-term memory. During those times, she doesn't remember much. It's as if a light switch in the memory portion of her brain is turned off. I get to explain our love story to her, our kids' lives, what I do for a living, and so much more.

My wife had just come through a "memory episode" lasting twenty-six days. In all honesty, I had been throwing a pity party. It wasn't my most spiritual moment. I was frustrated that God would allow my wife to endure all she had been through. I opened my Bible for my daily reading. As I read Psalm 25:10, I began to cry. God spoke to me that day through His Word. He said, "Even in the hardest of your trials, it is still mercy, and it could be much worse. Luke, this was the path of mercy." My friend, we serve a wonderful, good God! We deserve far worse than anything we've gone through. At the very root of it all, we deserve Hell.

This study of Psalm 25 led me to Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." As I follow His Word, I'm led down the path of mercy. I follow each step lit by the Word of God, this beautiful lamp. Therefore, His path is mercy, even when it seems to be the hardest. God is beyond good to us. If you follow his testimonies, you will take the path of mercy. The first word of the verse says, "All." All trials, struggles, and hardships are mercy when you walk with Him and abide in His will. This is one of His promises to His children.

I close this with a challenge. Have you thanked God for your path of mercy today? Please do not take that path of mercy for granted. Have you learned what He is teaching you on your path of mercy? God is so good and has so much in store for you! Enjoy your life on the path of mercy.