Jesus emphasized mercy and said it's what God desires from us. We certainly need mercy. So why do we hold back from showing more mercy to others? It's a heart issue, and Psalm 41 today shows us both the blessing of mercy and the ugliness when no mercy is given.
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We are listening to Psalm 41, the last psalm in Book 1 of the Psalms. Just as Psalm 1 started with a blessing on the righteous, Psalm 41 starts with a blessing on the merciful. Appropriately it ends with a praised-filled blessing on Yahweh, the God of Israel, who is the source of all righteousness and mercy. Psalm 41 also delves into the complexities of healing and forgiveness, both of which our psalmist needed. Instead of receiving mercy and compassion from the community and close friends, he receives ugly, treacherous treatment. Instead of becoming bitter, the psalmist puts his focus on God's deliverance and healing and is restored. There's a lot going on in just 13 verses!
Another touchstone verse to meditate on arising from this psalm is Matthew 5:7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
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As we get into season three get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
