Weep Because of His Mercy!

# 337 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 24:16-22, “So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 Then he said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. 18 "And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. 19 "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 "And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 "Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house." 22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He had been acting in such a way that he deserved death at the hands of David. Faced with the reality that it had been in David's hands to kill him, Saul now breaks down and weeps and acknowledges his wrongdoing to David. He sees how merciful David has been toward him and he weeps. And he says, “what kind of man when he finds his enemy will let him get away safely?” I remember my own brokenness before the Lord at the time of my conversion. I had rejected Christ and had become an enemy of the cross, and was behaving in such a way that I deserved His just punishment. Then I, like Saul was caught in my behavior, and I wept and I lifted up my voice before the Lord in repentance. As I received the Lord's forgiveness and believed it, I was overwhelmed by the thoughts of His mercy. What kind of God let's an enemy like me, off safely? Only the merciful God whom the Bible says is, “gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. (Ps 145:8) It turns out that Saul's repentance was temporary, he was soon back to his old ways. O God, guard my heart from returning to my old ways, let me weep because of your mercy, and not because I got caught in my sin.