May 1 - Reading 29: Psalm 89

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever…” (Psalm 89:1a)

Mercy is not a commonly used word today, so what exactly does it mean in this verse? It means not getting the punishment we justly deserve. What do we deserve? Death. Why? Because we all have sinned, and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Today’s Psalm says “Righteousness and justice are the very foundation of Your throne” (Psalm 89:14). Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for God to turn a blind eye to sin. We would like Him to, but that is not at all biblical. The righteousness and justice of require the penalty of death for sin to be paid, and paid in full.

We can only begin to appreciate the magnitude of God’s mercy as we try to comprehend the immensity of His righteousness. God is total purity. He is completely righteous and always just. Therefore, He takes unrighteousness (sin) very seriously. How seriously?

God is so serious about sin that He sent Himself, (in the form of Jesus, the Son), to live a perfect, sinless life among us, and suffer the agony of the worst death imaginable, in order to satisfy His own wrath and judgment against sin. What a magnificent plan by which both His infinite mercy could be shown and His righteous justice be met in full.

Have we ever really taken the time to ponder this truth? Because of His great love for us, God Himself took on our sins and paid our penalty of death in order to redeem us and restore us to a right relationship to Him. How incomprehensible!

As we read Psalm 89 and engage in battle today, let’s remember that there is no hope for anyone without Jesus. No one can earn their own salvation or work their way to heaven. We all have sinned, but Jesus paid it all. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). If we confess to Him that we are sinners and receive His free gift of eternal life, we also will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever!