“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” Psalm 31:9 NIV
One way to handle sorrow in your life is to cry out to God for mercy. In this past week in my life, I’ve witnessed three heartbreaking situations. First, a 26-year old father with a pregnant wife, died in a car accident. Then, a friend’s husband, a Christ following man, died of pancreatic cancer, five months after diagnosis, only 52 years old. And the crash of the helicopter that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 7 other people has gripped our nation in grief. All of these stories tell the fragility of life. They tell of unfulfilled dreams, missed moments, words left unspoken. They are stories of heartache and loss that can cripple us. When we are in the depths of despair, we cry out to the Lord for His mercy. He will comfort us in our time of need.
My hairdresser lost her sister and nephew last year. Her sister passed away first. She told me the story of how God comforted not only her family, but another one as well. They were in Florida where her sister had lived. Her family had gathered at the beach at sunset, grieving together for their loss. As the sun started to set, the clouds in the sky started to move. They slowly shaped the form of a heart. She has pictures to commemorate the moment. Immediately, the family was comforted. All of them knew the heart was a sign from God that their sister was with Him. On the beach with them was another family who had lost a child to suicide. When they saw the heart, they felt the same peace. They knew their loved one was alright. These two families, both in grief, met on a beach. They grieved together, comforting each other in the midst of their storms. God’s mercy comes in miraculous ways.
God’s mercy comes in miraculous ways.
God’s mercy came in an unexpected form that evening on the beach for my friend. His mercy came in an unexpected way for all of us when Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. God knows how desperately we need Jesus. He knows the depths of our heartache when we lose people we love. He knows how temporary our lives here on earth are. He knows our pain. Jesus is His answer. Jesus is the bridge that connects our sinful lives with God’s sovereignty. When we don’t understand why things happen, God does (Deut. 29:29 NIV). Our perspective is limited, we can’t possibly understand the whole story from here on earth, but one day we’ll know (1 Cor. 13:9-10 NIV). Until then, in our sorrow, we can cry out to Him for mercy. His mercies are new every day, they never run out (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV).
Question of the Day:
What sorrow do you need God’s mercy for today?
Further Reading: Exodus 28:1-43 NIV, Matthew 25:31-26:13 NIV, Psalm 31:9-18 NIV, Proverbs 8:12-13
