August 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 85:

¹Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
²Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
³Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
⁴Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
⁵Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
⁶Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
⁷Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
⁸I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
⁹Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
¹⁰Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
¹¹Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
¹²Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
¹³Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Devotional

Mercy and truth are frequently mentioned together in the Word of God. What has mercy to do with truth? Upon first consideration they do not seem to stand in close relation, but further study reveals that there is a close connection between the two. Mercy is the unmerited favor which God shows to penitent sinners. But God shows mercy only in and through Christ, who is the truth. Mercy and truth have met together in Christ. They also meet together in the penitent sinner. God's revelation of his truth to a sinner is mercy. When a sinner is overcome by the mercy of God, he will no longer justify him­self and play the hypocrite, but will confess his sins. He will be upright, truthful, before God.

When the woman with an issue of blood was healed (had received mercy), she trembled and fell down before Jesus, and "told him all the truth." Thus mercy and truth meet together in a sinner. When David urged Ittai, who followed him in that dark hour of his life, to return to his place, he said, "Mercy and truth be with thee." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."

Prayer

Merciful God and Father, we thank Thee that Thy mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Thee. Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salva­tion. We thank Thee that he who trusts in Thee, mercy shall compass him about. O Lord God of truth, let Thy truth con­tinually preserve us; may it be our shield and buckler. Teach us Thy way, and we will walk in Thy truth. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Mark 5:33; 2 Sam. 15:20; Ps. 25:10; 115:1.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.