Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. - Psalm 56:1-2It just struck me as I was reading this yesterday that David is asking for mercy, not for sin, but for situation.
In my mind, mercy has always been associated with personal wrong-doing where there is a reprieve from the justice of another. In the case of God, we sin and, by his mercy, we have a repriveve from the just penalty for that sin. For example:
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. - Micah 7:18But in Psalm 56, God's mercy is demonstrated by diverting the natural course of events (i.e. his providence). That is, if things continued the way they would normally continue, David was going to be in real trouble. But God intervenes. In thinking abou this mercy it still has that same core characteristic of grace ("undeserved favor").
So, when in the course of normal events, we find ourselves in hot water, but then suddenly circumstances change, that is the mercy of God. And we can say "Thank you", as David did:
...I will present my thank offerings to you, for you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. - Psalm 56:12b-13
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