51 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin! – Psalm 51:1-2
Campfires and Fights
It is difficult to always be right! Especially when you are young. And small for your age. And don’t know when to keep your opinion to yourself (i.e. keep your mouth shut!). I learned this lesson the hard way as a teenager. I had gone on a weekend camp out with a Boy Scout group. The weekend was packed with memorable events such as ghost stories, dipping water straight from the creek for hot chocolate over the campfire (the solid particles can’t be dangerous if they’ve been boiled right?) and a midnight walk through a cemetery. These were the highlights, along with one of the guys falling into the creek in the middle of the night during a storm after leaving the cemetery. I can still hear him crying for help in the creek bottom as the lightning flashed around us. Good times!
The low-light was the tussle I got into. One of the scouts who was a couple of years older than I did something I took offense to. I knew he was antagonizing me because of the size difference between us, but I also knew that might doesn’t make right. Rather than turning the other cheek and letting him embarrass me, I decided to embarrass myself and take the bait. I foolishly accepted his challenge. Gotta love teenage boys!
Say “Uncle”
I remember vividly, lying on my back with this bully on my chest. As he tapped his finger into my sternum he kept telling me to say “uncle.” My pride would not let me. With a ring of boys around us I could feel my face turning flush and the tears coming into my eyes. But I wasn’t going to budge. Literally. I was willing to lay there with him on my chest tapping on my sternum until his bony finger came out of my back. I knew I was right and there was no way I was going to cry for mercy. This was a matter of principle, not comfort. Some things are worth fighting for regardless of the cost. The other boys thought I was crazy. The leader thought I was spunky. When he knew I had no fight left, he separated us. For what it was worth, the other boy proved he was tougher. I walked away strengthened in my conviction to never quit. Definitely gotta love teenage boys!!
A Time to Cry for Mercy
I am no longer a teenager. That ship sailed out long ago. I’ve come to accept that I am not always right. However, that ship was a little slower in sailing out. More importantly, I learned that there is a time to cry for mercy. There is a time to quit. A time of desperation when we need to realize we are fighting a losing battle. A time we let our pride give way to humility. Of course, I am talking about the spiritual realm. I’m talking about being in the wrong. I’m talking about living in SIN.
Sin is an enemy we cannot defeat. The greater our pride, the more dangerous it becomes. If we try to fight it in our human strength it will knock us down every time. If we try to hide it, it will expose us as a fraud. The longer we wrestle with it in our own strength the greater will be our shame and embarrassment. We need to get out from under sin as soon as possible. King David wasn’t strong enough to conquer it alone and neither are we. We need to learn from David and cry out to God for mercy. It is our only hope. This is no teenage tussle. Crying for mercy isn’t a sign of weakness. It is evidence of wisdom.
The Weight of Sin
The weight of sin can be unbearable. Like a bully sitting on our chest, it makes it hard for us to catch our breath. With its bony finger, it brings pain to our hearts. It plays games with our minds and torments our souls. Sin turns our camp outs into tussles and our joy into mourning. It destroys relationships and breaks up families. How long are we willing to embarrass ourselves and entertain it? Quit taking the bait. Give it up. Look into the mirror of God’s Word. See the filth? Seek forgiveness and repeat after David.
51 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
God’s Mercy
When it comes to sin we are out of our league. We cannot conquer it with good works. We cannot overcome it with church membership. Our friends and families can’t save us nor can our wealth. When it comes to being saved from our sins we have only one option: God’s mercy. Thankfully, He offers it to us. According to his steadfast love. The love that sent His Son to fight on our behalf. There is a bloodstained cross on Calvary that proves some things are worth fighting for regardless of the cost.
God in His abundant mercy wants to blot out your transgressions and wash you thoroughly from your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin. Let Him.
The Bible teaches us that sin is always wrong and God is always right. It is much wiser to cry to God for mercy than to let sin hold us down. Humbling ourselves is not always easy, nor is it always comfortable. But at least one teenage conviction I have to remain true to. Principles take priority over comfort.
‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ – Luke 18:13