Turning In Abundant Mercy (Psalm 69:16)

 


Tuesday, July 29, 2025


Psalm 69:1-16

2 Samuel 11:1-21

John 8:48-59


Observance: Mary and Martha of Bethany


Turning In Abundant Mercy (Psalm 69:16)


Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.


Today’s Psalm always manages to catch me off-guard whenever it comes up. It begins so tragically; the anguish of the Psalmist drips off the page. Then there is the part about people making up lies in order to hurt them, and the echoes of Christ who was to come begin to appear. When we read about how zeal for the Lord’s house has consumed them, it becomes obvious we are reading a prophecy about Jesus, since this is what is referenced when our Lord cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem.


Yet in the midst of it all (and it is roughly the middle where we stop for the moment; we read the rest of the Psalm at tonight’s Evensong) the author is confident in God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy. When everyone else has turned away, the Lord turns towards.


Having people turn away from us hurts. We don’t need to try and ignore this fact; we don’t need to try and cover over it with some sort of pietistic Stoicism. When people turn away from us, we also begin to understand a little of what our Lord went through when he hung on the cross. The crucifixion was the greatest crime ever committed, and the act of people turning away was such a terrible part of that, it has a whole Psalm about it. When people turn away from us, it hurts, because it was an aspect of the worst hurt humanity has ever caused.


Yet in spite of that hurt, we always have the Lord. He does not turn away – in fact, he turns towards. Let us pray this to ourselves, and often: the Lord turns to me. When he turns towards us, his steadfast love and abundant mercy pour out in such levels we need nothing else. The Lord turns towards me.


Lord of steadfast love and abundant mercy: turn to us in our troubles, that we may know of your goodness, and be able to face every trial.

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