The plea for forgiveness rests on the good God.
You, Lord, Are Good and Forgiving
The psalmist cries out to God relying on who He is: good, forgiving, and great in kindness to those who call
This short devotional is about forgiveness, from Psalms 86:5.
For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
Psalms 86:5
The scene
We are in Jerusalem, city of the temple, where the people brought their cries to God.
The psalmist prays asking God to preserve his soul. He calls himself a servant who trusts, asks for mercy, and says he calls on the LORD all day long.
In the midst of the cry, he rests on who God is: “You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You”. He asks God to incline His ear and says that, in the day of distress, he will call on Him.
For God to forgive, we have to suffer a great deal first.
The psalmist does not present suffering as payment: he trusts and asks "save Your servant". Forgiveness comes from God's goodness. Receive this forgiveness freely.
In our day
After getting it wrong, it is common to stay silent before God, thinking we must get better before asking forgiveness. And prayer is left for later.
The psalmist shows another way: he called all day long and rested his request on God’s goodness. Jesus told of the father who ran to meet the son who was returning (Luke 15:20). We can call out now to the good and forgiving Lord.
Relief. The psalmist celebrates: "O Lord, there is none like You among the gods".
The God we pray to has no equal, and this is the God who forgives us. Rejoice in Him and lift up your soul in gratitude.
Trust. The psalmist celebrates: "O Lord, there is none like You among the gods".
The God we pray to has no equal, and this is the God who forgives us. Rejoice in Him and lift up your soul in gratitude.
Gratitude. The psalmist celebrates: "O Lord, there is none like You among the gods".
The God we pray to has no equal, and this is the God who forgives us. Rejoice in Him and lift up your soul in gratitude.
Anguish. The psalmist asks the Lord: "Preserve my soul".
A weary or ashamed soul can be handed to God. He keeps what we entrust to Him. Rest in this care.
Shame. The psalmist asks the Lord: "Preserve my soul".
A weary or ashamed soul can be handed to God. He keeps what we entrust to Him. Rest in this care.
Weariness. The psalmist asks the Lord: "Preserve my soul".
A weary or ashamed soul can be handed to God. He keeps what we entrust to Him. Rest in this care.
Today, when I feel ashamed to pray, I will call on God anyway, remembering that He is forgiving.
The Lord is good and forgives those who call on Him.
There's freedom on the other side of forgiveness. But the road there runs through surrender.
Cordeiro Devocional
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