“LORD, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” Psalm
41:4
The mercy that the psalmist wants is the forgiveness
of sins, the deliverance from sins. He wants mercy because he has sinned. His sin
is his argument for receiving mercy. A self-righteous person, who relies on his
own righteousness, will not pray like this. A Pharisee will not pray like this,
Jesus said that the tax collector's prayer was answered not the prayer of the
Pharisee because he asked for nothing but praised himself. If a beggar comes to
my house asking for money and starts telling me how rich he is, how well he
earns, I will find it strange. It is equally strange to ask God for mercy and
boast of one's own merits. A doctor will find it strange if a patient comes to
him and says: "Heal me because I am very healthy." This is how the
self-righteous Pharisee prays.
The psalmist knows that sin is a soul disease and believes that only God can heal.
He has sinned, that's why he can expect mercy.
Topical meditation:
Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments
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