Groaning For Mercy

“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)

When I was a child, my friends and I played a curious game of strength—one that I now question the wisdom of! The idea was to interlock hands with an opponent and then try to twist and squeeze each other’s bones until someone surrendered. This was a game in which the strongest player “survived,” while the weaker one suffered the shame of defeat (and the occasional sprain). To the players, a cry of “Mercy!” meant that you had finally hit your breaking point. Your pain and discomfort had become too overwhelming to bear.

Maybe today your whole life seems like an unrelenting game of “Mercy!”—one in which you feel constantly twisted and squeezed by a power stronger than yourself. Perhaps your tolerance for pain and suffering is about to expire. Maybe you’ve hit your limit and feel defeated. We see this reflected in Psalm 31, as David laments his multifaceted troubles. As “affliction, enmity, physical distress, social rejection, slander, and conspiracy” hit him all at once, David’s anguish becomes as overwhelming as the problems themselves. He can’t take it anymore, so he cries out to God, “Be merciful!”

Or, in other words, “Have mercy!”

As today’s verse shows us, the intense pressure David was under had a negative impact on his whole person. Both his body and soul were wasted by grief; sorrow skewed his perceptions and sin sapped what remained of his strength (see verse 10). This dynamic rings true for all of us: When troubles overwhelm our ability to cope, they weaken all that we are as physical and spiritual beings. What we need in these moments of weakness is fresh mercy from God—either relief from the pressure or strength to bear it a little longer.

When it feels like we might break, lament brings us to the throne of grace for mercy.

If there’s anyone who knows what it means to suffer beneath overwhelming pressure, it’s Jesus Christ. The night before his crucifixion, his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (see Mark 14:34). The next day, the Romans had to twist and squeeze his bones out of joint in order to nail him to a tree (see Ps. 22:14). And yet Jesus despised the shame of this temporary defeat—he endured unparalleled pain—so that when life becomes too much for you, you would have a merciful High Priest who understands your weakness (see Isa. 53:11; Heb. 4:15; 12:2). So bring all your pressures and pains honestly before the Lord today. His throne is not one of condemnation but one of grace where mercy and help are freely given (see Heb. 4:16). Remember that at the peak of his overwhelming misery, Christ was securing mercy. Not for himself, of course.

But for you.

Reflection:

• What toll have your troubles taken on your body (changes to your health, appetite, sleep, energy, mobility, concentration)? On your soul (changes to your desire to pray, fight sin, pursue faithfulness, read Scripture, attend church, serve others)? What weakness most needs God’s mercy today?
• Find a quiet place today and pray through Psalm 31:9-10 slowly. Name the specific pressures weighing on your body and soul, then ask the Lord for fresh mercy—to grant you either relief from the burden or strength to bear it a little longer. End by thanking Christ that his throne is one of grace, not condemnation (see Heb. 4:16).