Remember 5 1/2 years ago when I was memorizing Psalm 40? Me neither… I knew it was ages ago but didn’t think it was SO long ago. Like pre-parenthood long ago. And the years keep flying by. I was reading Psalm 40 this morning during quiet time with God, and verse 11 echoed in my heart:
As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me.
I certainly don’t have this psalm memorized anymore, although it does give me a sense of familiarity when I read it. I remember the first time this verse struck me, the generosity of the language, the idea that God’s mercy can be restrained or poured out as he chooses, and the wonder of having this type of relationship where you know that God will not hold his mercy back.
I’ve been walking through a season of unrestrained mercy in a kind of brutal way these last few months. 2016 came to an end with heartbreak and tumult, and I felt like I had to re-learn every big lesson I’ve ever learned with God. But here at the start of a new year when I have made no resolutions, the simple things like spending quiet time with God feel like a life raft I keep forgetting about. Like, why am I treading water in the cold ocean of life?
Today I am grateful to know a God who invites me to sit at his feet and rest in his presence.