Psalms 40:11

“Withhold not thou thy tender mercies”

Psalms 40:11-12, “Withold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” The book of Psalms deals a great deal with the teaching of salvation. Psalms chapter 40 explains what men should do in response to the message of the forgiveness of sins. A person should repent of their sins to Jesus. And then once a person becomes a Christian that person should do their part to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life is a spiritual warfare. All men are great sinners. But there is righteousness in Christ. Psalms 40 and verse 12 describes the circumstances that all men are in when it says, “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me.” Your own sinful nature and the forces of evil are something you must battle every day. Those that are lost in sins are enslaved to the forces of evil. This is why men need to repent of their sins and learn of the redemption of sin that is in the blood of Jesus Christ.

If there is anything that the lost people and even Christians should know about the one true living God it is that you can always cry out to God for mercy. Psalms 40:11 says, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD.” Draw night to God and He will draw night to you. Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find. Are you lost in your sins? Have the consequences of sin brought you suffering in your life? Ephesians 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us.”

God loves judgment. There is judgment for sin. Eternal damnation in the lake of fire is judgment for sin. This is why those that delight to do the will of God love to speak about the righteousness of Christ; because Christ suffered on the Cross for the sins of the World. There is no greater mercy in this world than to find forgiveness for sins in Jesus. Psalms chapter 40 describes what happens to a person when they are redeemed from the lies of this world when it says in verses 1-2, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” These verses are similar to the first few verses in Ephesians chapter 2:1-9 which says, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Jesus said the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Good and bad happens to all humans in this world. But notice the words “tender mercies.” These words come from a word that have the idea of a mother’s tender love for her unborn child. There is much to suffer in life especially for those who do not follow after the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life and chose instead the road of the cross of Christ. However there is no mercy like the tender mercy of God. No one will ever love you the way that Christ loves you. Christ’s love is an everlasting love for his children. 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Therefore we know the tender mercies of God do not change. The tender mercies of God do not dim or lessen in a Christian’s life. The rain falls on the just and the unjust but once you turn from your sins to Jesus you have the tender mercies of God for every day of your life and for all eternity. This is why when 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” It means that you should be quick to confess your sins to Christ when you sin because sin will harden your heart towards your love for Christ. Christ though will never lessen in his tender mercies towards those that have believed upon his name.

This is why in talking about the tender mercies of God Psalms 40:11 says, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.” In talking about God’s tender mercies there are two things mentioned in this verse: loving-kindness and truth. Loving kindness refers to God’s passion for being merciful to men. Much can be said about the physical needs of human beings but the spiritual is so much more important than the physical. Physical life on this earth is temporary. Man at his best state is vanity. It is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

This is why Jesus said in Luke 4:4, “it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith in Christ is more valuable than gold. In the tender mercy of God and in the loving kindness of God; God promises that his Word will be provided for those that desire it. The truth is for those that want the truth. Do not cast your pearls before swine. Do you desire to learn the Word of God and the promises of God? Then you can be sure that God will provide His Word for you if you ask him.

Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Psalms 40:11 says, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”

Psalms 40:12 says, “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” How great is the sinfulness of man. The sins of all men number more than the hairs of their head. Jesus said in Matthew 10:31, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

What is the reason most men never turn to Christ for his tender mercies? Because they do not repent of their sins. How great is the sinfulness of man. But even greater is the wonderful works of God through Christ. Psalms 40:11 says, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.” Once you turn from your sins to Jesus then you are continually preserved. In other words once saved always saved. Salvation is based on the grace of God through the work of Christ on the Cross. Those that repent of their sins to Jesus receive the righteousness of Christ. Therefore you cannot lose your salvation once you have become a child of God. There is no greater gift of tender mercies than the forgiveness of sins in Jesus. Repent of your sins today and believe on the name of Christ.

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