Psalm 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Psalm 86 is a prayer by King David in which he pleads with God to respond to his heart’s cry. He repeatedly asks God to hear him and answer him. If you’ve ever felt like God isn’t hearing your prayers, you’ll relate to this psalm. But even as David cries out in distress, he affirms what he already knows about the character of God.
In today’s verse, King David acknowledges that the Lord is compassionate, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth. Even when he feels that God isn’t responding, he continues to call out because he knows God will answer (Psalm 86:7). Meditating on the character of God increases his confidence and strengthens his faith.
In the midst of his plea for help, David asks God to teach him His ways and give him a loyal, undivided heart that relies on God’s faithfulness (Psalm 86:11). David is certain that God is always gracious towards His people. So, despite his difficult circumstances, he continues to trust in the goodness of God.
If you, like David, are going through a season of intense pain and hardship, remember who your God is. He has not led you this far to abandon you now. You can trust His character even when you don’t see your prayers being answered as you’d hoped.
Lean on the Lord, and know that He is always compassionate and gracious towards His children. You can trust Him to act on your behalf. Let His grace and strength carry you through your current circumstances.
