March 13: Psalms of Mercy
♫ Music:
WEEK THREE INTRODUCTION
TITLE: PSALMS OF MERCY
March 13–March 19
We all carry toxic burdens that need to be left at the foot of the cross. On Calvary, Jesus shed his blood, taking upon himself the world’s sin so that God’s righteous requirement––that punishment for sin be paid in full––was accomplished. Our part in the redemptive process, as the penitential psalms so clearly illustrate, is to confess our sins, turn from our wrongdoings and rely on God’s grace to heal us. This repentance would be incomplete without a bedrock belief in the great mercy of God. The psalmists had unshakeable faith in the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. When we sincerely turn our backs on those things that offend and hurt the Lord, he is standing by, ready to restore us and “set our feet upon a rock and put a new song in our mouths.”
There is nothing more wonderful than to peacefully rest in the boundless mercy and unconditional love of God—the King of Heaven. The Psalms give voice to the gratitude that comes from being beneficiaries of this divine mercy. Rev. Oliver Keenan writes, “There is here [in the psalms] a sense of the immensity of the Lord’s perfection contrasted with the finitude of the human person, both the ‘exceeding sinfulness of sin’ and the ‘exceeding gratuity of grace’ held together in the confident awareness of God’s faithful Lordship over creation, the loving creative embrace of God that cannot be destroyed by human sin. The author’s exuberance cannot be extinguished. There is a freshness to the Psalmist’s awareness of God’s mercy, a joyfulness that is the product of a personal awareness of being a forgiven sinner.” Lent should be a time not only of contrition for our sins but also a time of great thanksgiving and gladness for God’s never-ceasing mercy and grace; a grace that is greater than all our sin. Whether we are praying individually, corporately as a congregation, or on behalf of our country or beleaguered world, let our cries of “Lord have mercy” rise with fervency to the heavens!
Day 12 - Sunday, March 13
Title: DO NOT WITHHOLD YOUR MERCIES FROM ME
Scripture: Psalm 40
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
Poetry:
Miz Rosa Rides the Bus
by Angela Jackson
That day in December I sat down
by Miss Muffet of Montgomery.
I was myriad-weary. Feets swole
from sewing seams on a filthy fabric;
tired-sore a pedalin’ the rusty Singer;
dingy cotton thread jammed in the eye.
All lifelong I’d slide through century-reams
loathsome with tears. Dreaming my own
silk-self.
It was not like they all say. Miss Liberty Muffet
she didn’t
jump at the sight of me.
Not exactly.
They hauled me
away—a thousand kicking legs pinned down.
The rest of me I tell you—a cloud.
Beautiful trouble on the dead December
horizon. Come to sit in judgment.
How many miles as the Jim Crow flies?
Over oceans and some. I rumbled.
They couldn’t hold me down. Long.
No.
My feets were tired. My eyes were
sore. My heart was raw from hemming
dirty edges of Miss L. Muffet’s garment.
I rode again.
A thousand bloody miles after the Crow flies
that day in December long remembered when I sat
down
beside Miss Muffet of Montgomery.
I said—like the joke say—What’s in the bowl, Thief?
I said—That’s your curse.
I said—This my way.
She slipped her frock, disembarked,
settled in the suburbs, deaf, mute, lewd, and blind.
The bowl she left behind. The empty bowl mine.
The spoiled dress.
Jim Crow dies and ravens come with crumbs.
They say—Eat and be satisfied.
I fast and pray and ride.
DO NOT WITHHOLD YOUR MERCIES FROM ME
As I read David’s opening words of Psalm 40, “I waited patiently for the Lord,” a cynical voice inside me wanted to respond, “Yeah, right.” David goes on to say that the Lord heard his cry, lifted him from the pit, and gave him a new song to sing. But patiently? That’s not what I’m seeing in many of your other tunes, Dave. All those angry songs demanding justice and calling for the Lord to defend your honor—those don’t bear the marks of a patient waiter.
The line between patient waiting and just giving in to quiet resignation feels fuzzy to me. Most of us know the experience of coming before the Lord to plead our case, and then seemingly hearing nothing in return. We wait in the bottom of our pit, down in the muck, and after a long time we come to some kind of acquiescence: “I hate this, but I’m not giving up, Lord.” Like Peter we cry out, “Where else can I go? You alone have the words of eternal life.” Our life of faith feels stuck, and we become an old blues singer in the bottom of the pit, singing a song of self-pity, sorrow, anger, and delayed justice. “How long, O Lord?”
Can you identify with that? While you are down there in the pit—your pit—get comfortable. Make yourself at home. Hang up some pictures. It may be a while. New songs take some time to compose and learn.
In the pit, waiting, the simplistic formulas of our old songs are usually found wanting. Pits have a way of striping away our pietism and self-righteous estimation of our goodness. Lent often feels like this—waiting and wanting. We sit in the mud and mire, often of our own making, and slowly come to the realization that we can’t get out of this on our own. So when the Lord inclines to hear our cry there can be no doubt that it’s God who reaches down to save us, and nothing of our doing.
David is given a new song to sing. Eventually. In listening to the two songs selected for this devotional, I hear two different perspectives. In U2’s “40”, Bono cries out “How long to sing this song.” It’s as if he’s still singing the old song—the cry from the bottom of the pit. “When do I get my new song, Lord? How long to sing this song?” Steve Bell’s “Psalm 40” is poppy and boppy, written in a major key and speaking of the steadfast love of the Lord—it feels post-pit. After you’ve spent an extended season in the pit waiting, the new song is a bit jarring. Can I believe it? Is this a legit rescue from the pit, or are you playing games here God? Like the women standing outside the empty tomb, this is going to take some getting used to.
Where are you today? Are you down in the bottom of the pit, or perhaps things have moved and today you feel your feet firmly placed on the rock, singing a new song? As we prepare our hearts for Easter we cry out with David, “Do not withhold your mercies from me!” Put a new resurrection song in my mouth Lord.
O have courage and wait for the Lord.
Dr. Murray Decker
Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies
Director, Malcolm Initiative for Art in Evangelism and Missions
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
Lead Me, O Lord, in Thy Righteousness
Hlafira Shcherbak
2019
Acrylic, levkas on wood board
30 x 30 cm
Artist Hlafira Shcherbak paints a powerful image of a life dedicated to following Jesus. In her work Lead Me, O Lord, in Thy Righteousness a figure moves steadily upward on a steep path that is built upon the solid foundation of Christ and his teachings, as indicated by the hillside composed of crosses. Though the path was never promised to be easy, as we take up our cross to follow him, we have a guide who has walked the road before us and is walking side by side with us every step of the way.
About the Artist:
Hlafira Shcherbak (b. 1995) is a liturgical Ukrainian artist. She received her degree at the Lviv National Academy of Arts in the department of sacred art. Shcherbak creates her work using monotype, a graphic technique of flat printing, which in combination with elaborate and strongly modeled forms creates a sense of ephemerality, lightness, and unpredictability of forms. Geometrization and simplification of forms is also characteristic of Shcherbak’s graphic style. These techniques and her graphic style allow the artist to create spaces and forms that build a connection between the divine and the human. Her works are in the collections of the Museum of the Warsaw Archdiocese (Muzeum Archidiecezji Warszawskiej, Poland), and in private collections in Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.
https://nowaikona.pl/en/artysta/hlafira-shcherbak/
About the Music #1:
“40” from the album War
Lyrics #1:
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He lift me up out of the pits
Out of the miry clay
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?
He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
(Sing it!)
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?
About the Performers #1:
U2 is an Irish rock band formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Popular for their live performances, the group has staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over its career. U2 has released fourteen studio albums and is one of the world's best-selling music groups, having sold an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide. They have won twenty-two Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice causes, including Amnesty International, Jubilee 2000, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, War Child, and Music Rising. U2 has consistently put their Christian faith and biblical themes at the center of their music over the past three decades, but has never officially represented themselves as a Christian band. If you listen closely to U2’s lyrics, you’ll find at least fifty references to Bible verses in their songs.
https://www.u2.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2
https://religionnews.com/2014/09/18/u2-secretly-christian-heres-new-yorker-missed/
About the Composers #1:
The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., Adam Clayton, and Bono
The Edge, aka Howell Evans (b. 1961), is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded fourteen studio albums with them as well as one solo record. His understated style of guitar playing, a signature of U2's music, is distinguished by chiming timbres, use of rhythmic delay, drone notes, harmonics, and an extensive use of effects units. Over the years, the Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, including American roots music, industrial music, and alternative rock. With U2, the Edge has also played keyboards, co-produced their 1993 record Zooropa, and occasionally served as co-lyricist. As a member of U2 and as an individual, the Edge has campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes. He co-founded Music Rising, a charity to support musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on several projects, including songs for Roy Orbison and Tina Turner, the soundtracks to the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and the Royal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edge
https://www.u2.com/
Adam Clayton (b. 1960) is an English-born Irish musician who is the bassist of U2. A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded fourteen studio albums with U2. Clayton's bass playing style is noted for its "harmonic syncopation,” giving the music a driving rhythm. He is well known for his bass playing on songs such as "Gloria," "New Year's Day," "Bullet the Blue Sky," "Vertigo," "Get on Your Boots," and "Magnificent." He has worked on several solo projects throughout his career, such as his work with fellow band member Larry Mullen Jr. on the 1996 version of the “Theme from Mission: Impossible.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clayton
https://www.u2.com/
Larry Mullen, Jr. (b. 1961) is an Irish musician and actor, best known as the drummer and co-founder of U2. Mullen's distinctive, almost military drumming style developed from his playing martial beats in childhood marching bands. Some of his most notable contributions to the U2 catalog include "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "Zoo Station," "Mysterious Ways," and "City of Blinding Lights." Mullen has worked on numerous side projects during his career. In 1990, he produced the Ireland national football team's song "Put 'Em Under Pressure" for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. In 1996, he worked with U2 bandmate Adam Clayton on a dance re-recording of the “Theme from Mission: Impossible.” Mullen has sporadically acted in films, most notably in Man on the Train (2011) and A Thousand Times Good Night (2013). As a member of U2, he has been involved in philanthropic causes throughout his career, including Amnesty International.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Mullen_Jr.
https://www.u2.com/
About the Lyricist #1:
Bono, aka David Hewson (b. 1960), is an Irish singer/songwriter, activist, philanthropist, and the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of U2. Bono established himself as a passionate frontman for U2 through his expressive vocal style and grandiose gestures and songwriting. His lyrics frequently include social and political themes and religious imagery inspired by his Christian faith. During U2's early years, Bono's lyrics contributed to the group's rebellious and spiritual tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences shared with the other members. Aside from his music, Bono is an activist for social justice causes, both through U2 and as an individual. He is particularly active in campaigning for Africa, for which he co-founded DATA, EDUN, the ONE Campaign, and Product Red. In pursuit of these causes, he has participated in benefit concerts and lobbied politicians and heads of state for relief. In 2005, Bono was named one of Time magazine’s “Persons of the Year.” Outside the band, he has recorded with numerous artists. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate the Edge on several projects. In 2016 Bono spoke with pastor Eugene H. Peterson, author of contemporary language Bible translation The Message, about the Psalms and their friendship. Their interview may be seen on here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l40S5e90KY.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bono
https://www.u2.com/
About the Music #2:
“Psalm 40” from the album Beyond A Shadow
Lyrics #2:
Patiently waited for you
Desolate waiting for you
And you heard my cry o Lord
You pulled me from miry bog
And you set me upon a rock
And made my steps secure o Lord
Put a new song in my heart
A new song of praise to my God
Do not thou o lord withhold
Your steadfast love and mercy from me
Mercy from me
Do not thou Lord withhold
Your steadfast love and mercy from me
Mercy from me
I told a great congregation
The good news of your salvation
I could not conceal it any more
Blessed are those who seek you
Trusting your love they seek you
Always saying great is the Lord
Put a new song in their hearts
New song of praise to their God
Do not thou o Lord withhold
Your steadfast love and mercy from me
Mercy from me
Do not thou o Lord withhold
our steadfast love and mercy from me
Mercy from me
Mercy from me
Mercy from me
About the Performer/Composer/Lyricist #2:
Steve Bell (b. 1960) has been called a “songwriter, storyteller, and troubadour for our time.” This Canadian musician uses artful words and songs to encourage Christian faith and thoughtful living. Bell has been performing and touring since he was eight years old. Since Steve’s father was a prison chaplain, it was federal prisoners at Drumheller Penitentiary in Alberta who taught the young boy to play guitar. More than a quarter century since the release of Steve’s first solo album, his accomplishments continue to demonstrate his commitment to excellence and creativity. These endeavors have led not only to commercial success for Steve’s self-launched record label Signpost Music, but have also garnered a stream of accolades including three JUNO Awards, numerous Western Canadian and Prairie Music Awards, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Steve has mentored several emerging artists and worked with various organizations to promote arts and education. He also uses his stage to attract attention, build awareness, and provide thoughtful helps to the world’s less fortunate and resourced—locally, nationally, and internationally—represented by such worthy organizations as Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Compassion Canada, Siloam Mission, and the National Roundtable on Homelessness and Poverty. In addition to his year-round touring schedule and increasing number of speaking engagements at conferences and universities, Bell has written articles for various publications; co-published a book on the Psalms with Jamie Howison; and recently completed a seven-book box set called Pilgrim Year, which features reflections on the spirituality of the Christian liturgical calendar that incorporate story, song, poetry, and art.
https://stevebell.com/
About the Poet:
Angela Jackson (b. 1951) is an American poet, playwright, and novelist based in Chicago, Illinois. Jackson became the Illinois Poet Laureate in 2020. In 1977, she graduated from Northwestern University, where she won an Academy of American Poets Award, and the University of Chicago with an M.A. in Latin American and Caribbean studies. Jackson’s free verse poems weave myth and life experience, conversation, and invocation. She is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners (1993), which won the Carl Sandburg Award; the National Book Award–nominated All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New (1998); and It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time (2015). She has also written several plays, including Witness! (1978), Shango Diaspora: An African-American Myth of Womanhood and Love (1980), and When the Wind Blows (1984). Her novel Where I Must Go (2009) won the American Book Award. Jackson’s honors include a Pushcart Prize, TriQuarterly’s Daniel Curley Award, the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Memorial Award, and grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council. Jackson currently lives in Chicago.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Jackson
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Murray Decker
Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Murray Decker has taught at Biola University since 1993, teaching courses such as Interpersonal and Intercultural Adjustment; Foundations of Global Studies; Short-term Mission Leadership; Experiential Learning Theory, Intercultural Internship; Cross-cultural Issues in Spiritual Formation; and Gospel and Culture. His field experience includes serving in Cameroon, West Africa, as a missionary, as well as numerous trips to serve in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Turkey. He serves as a missions consultant to churches and has spoken at numerous missions conferences at churches, schools, and seminaries. Decker's research interests include sojourner adjustment (the process of cross-cultural adaptation and adjustment to living in new environments), missions mobilization, spiritual formation, and experiential learning. Murray's passion over the years has been to mentor students and journey with them in life as they prepare to impact the world for Jesus. Murray is married to DeAnn, and has two children. They make their home in La Mirada.