Medicine of Mercy

Our problem, as Christians, is that we don’t take our own medicine. We don’t practice what we preach, literally, sometimes. And Psalm 89 is an example of that. The author is Ethan the Ezrahite. He is mentioned in 1 Kings 4:29-31 as being one of the wisest people in the world. Solomon was even wiser by comparison (which is why Ethan is mentioned) but Ethan was right up there, as number two.

But he had something else in common with Solomon: he didn’t do what he knew was right. He didn’t put it into practice for himself. We see this in Psalm 89 because Ethan starts out by praising GOD. Three quarters of the psalm is speaking about the majesty and wonder of GOD, about his faithful promise to David, Solomon’s father and king of Israel before Solomon. He would know firsthand how GOD’s power and love worked in the lives of David and Solomon in spite of all the troubles GOD allowed. He saw the very discipline he explains GOD uses to bring GOD’s chosen back into right relationship with Him. Yet the last part of the psalm is Ethan crying out that God had abandoned them and was destroying David’s descendants in spite of all His promises.

This is because Ethan did what we, too, do. He didn’t see that GOD’s judgment and discipline are part of His mercy. It was fine for Ethan to talk about the other guy getting disciplined but when it happened all around him, he was in a panic.

We today are quick to point out everything Jesus did for us in Love. He died for us, after all. He paid the price for our sin. But we forget that we are still disciplined. We still go through painful circumstances. The Apostle Paul said some Believers died from eating the LORD’s supper disrespectfully. Revelation has JESUS warning the churches to straighten up before He disciplines them.

We as Christians can find relief from anything that ails us by concentrating on the power and mercy of GOD like medication for our souls. But even in GOD’s mercy, which includes discipline, maybe including death, it is sometimes bitter medicine.

Meditating on the mercy of GOD (in His Nature, creation, actions & faithfulness) is the best medication for dissatisfaction in life. But we must be willing to take our own medicine. Psalm 89