Stooping Down (Psalm 51:1)

God's mercy: we talk about it, read about and even sing about it.  But what is it?  I know that you may have coined phrases and shoot from the hip definitions for this term, but have you ever personally tried to define it?

In Psalm 51, David cries out to the Lord for mercy.  The definition of the Hebrew word for mercy means " to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior".  Think about it.  Whenever God shows mercy towards us, he, in the splendor of his high exalted state, stoops down to you and me.

Why would such an exalted being be willing to perform such a humbling task?  He does this because of his loving kindness.  As a loving expectant mother feels love in the womb for her child, our Heavenly Father experiences the same towards us.  This form of love is described as tender mercy and it is this tender mercy that moves him to stoop down.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (Psalms 51:1)

When you pray, God stoops down to answer and meet your needs,  When you need help, he stoops down to give you strength and when you fall, he even stoops down to pick you up.  He stooped down to become man and stooped down even further to become our sin bearer. If you think about it, possibly the greatest manifestation of God's love is his stooping down.

Thanks be to God for his mercy.