Lenten Reader | Day 9

March 3rd, 2023

Have Mercy on Me

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Psalm 51:1-2,5-6

In this season of repentance, God shows his mercy through praying, fasting, and reflecting on our sins. Since the time of our conception, we were sinful even in the womb. Every day we are tempted. We need to be intentional on keeping our hearts, minds, and actions on the one sure path towards God.

As we spend these new days digging in the soil to plant seeds in the garden, we need to plant the seeds in our hearts to be accepting of the all-encompassing mercy and love from our Lord, Jesus Christ. When the flowers and veggies sprout in the warming soil, we will find joy in the morning. By tilling and nourishing these sprouts, renewal will be the path before us. If we do not keep at the job of rooting out our sins just like the weeds in our garden, we will not accept God’s mercy.

Just like the weeds strangle the plants, God’s mercy will too be strangled and not allowed in our hearts and minds. Jesus forgave the sins of David even though David covered up his infidelity with murder. God did not give up on David but showed His Mercy. How can we, his followers, not receive Jesus’s mercy with humility?

What better way to become clean of heart with hope but by digging deeper into God’s Word. By reflecting on the passages in the Bible and by fasting during this Lenten time of preparation. This is the way to become refreshed by the spring showers in our soul. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we find our way to a spring of rebirth and renewal in Christ Jesus.

Linda Neff