A Look at Psalm 119:6
God's Will: Mercy
Psalm 119:6 “Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands!”
There is no shame in obedience to God, there is only shame in disobedience. A command is an uttered expression of a will (God’s) which is to be obeyed. When God reveals His Will to us, to obey it means we will have no shame when we stand before Him.
What is the Will of God? God’s Will in all things is to have mercy. In
Matthew 9:13
we read,
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’” God desires mercy in all things. The Will of God for every believer in every situation is to show mercy. If we would just obey that one command, we would never be brought to places of sacrifice. What are places of sacrifice? They are those places we bring ourselves to when we have been disobedient. They are something we make or do after we have done wrong.
In
1 Samuel 15:22 we read,
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and in sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?”
To obey is better than sacrifice because obedience goes before sin, while sacrifice goes after sin. It’s not that God does not accept our sacrifices and renewed commitments to Him. It is just that if we would simply obey Him in the first place we wouldn’t be brought to the place where we need to make sacrifices.
Jesus said,
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy….’” Mercy has been described as the ardent desire to meet the need of someone else. If we would go and do mercy to others, we would then learn that mercy is God’s Will for all people. If we would follow that single command, we would never be put to shame.
Let me encourage you to take some time to meditate on this verse. As you do, ask yourself if you show mercy to all people.
Continued
