Psalm 119:58

We come to the next verse in the octave of Psalm 119 entitled Cheth.

Psalms 119:58  I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

Here we find the psalmist intreating the Lord.  To intreat is to ask, such as we do when we pray for something.  In analyzing this verse, I am going to adopt the method used by Matthew Henry as he commented on it.  Mr. Henry broke this verse down into three parts:  what the psalmist prayed for, how he prayed, and what he pleaded as he prayed. 

First, consider what the psalmist prayed for.  He asked for God’s favour and mercy:  I intreated thy favour…be merciful unto me.  Now the primary meaning of the word grace is favour.  Therefore, the psalmist is asking for God’s grace and mercy.  When God deals with us in grace, He gives us what we do not deserve.  He is doing us a favour.  Grace has been rightly defined as unmerited favour.  When God deals with us in mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve.  In asking for grace and mercy we ask God to grant us kindness, compassion, and blessing instead of the severity and wrath that we deserve.  Mercy takes away what we deserve and grace gives us what we don’t deserve.  And, thank God, there is grace and mercy available to us for the asking at the throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God’s mercy removes our many and varied transgressions, and with them He removes His anger. 

Psalms 51:1  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Micah 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

God’s grace, His favour, provides us with help and strength for whatever we must deal with in life. 

 2 Timothy 2:1  Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

 Now this fleeting life down here is never going to be a paradise. 

Job 14:1  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

In this life you will have your share of personal failures, grief, and pain.  But with mercy to take care of your failures and with grace to strengthen and help you to cope with whatever life throws your way, your greatest needs are provided.  What better could you ask for?

Second, mark how the psalmist asks for favour and mercy.  He does so with his whole heart.  This is no rote, halfhearted prayer.  The psalmist prays for this from the depth of his being, meaning what he says.  It is as if he is asking for his life, which in reality he is when you consider this verse:

Psalms 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life….

What would the life of any of us be without the grace of God?  Life without God’s grace is living death!

Lastly, consider the psalmist’s plea as he presents his request:  be merciful unto me according to thy word.  The psalmist does not plead his own merit or goodness as a reason for God to be merciful to him.  Rather he pleads God’s word of promise:  according to thy word.  And God has promised His mercy to His people in His word.

Isaiah 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Acts 13:34  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Hebrews 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

May this meditation prompt all of us to come often to the throne of grace to draw down the mercy and grace that is promised to us, who believe on our Lord Jesus Christ unto life everlasting.