PSALMS OF THE HEART 4

 

Mercy's Embrace by Annie Henrie Nader

Book Four (Psalms 90-106): Shifts focus to God’s eternal reign and comfort during hard times.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations (100:5)

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy (103:8)

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him (103:11)

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him…(103:17)

I have noticed that the scriptures focus a lot on Christ’s greatest attribute, that of mercy. I have also noticed that the medium the prophets have used for this is the tradition of ‘remembering’. Even Psalms bring this to light. They remind Israel to remember the Abrahamic covenant (105:9; 42) and their deliverance from Egypt’s captivity (106:7,21).

God’s admonition to ancient Israel to remember their deliverance from ‘the house of bondage’ was so engrained in them that they took it to the new promised land in ancient America. Some notable references to this important part of their history in the Book of Mormon are: 1 Nephi 4:2,3; 17:23-42; Mosiah 7:19; Alma 36:28-29.  Remembering became a legacy amongst God’s people. King Benjamin spoke of ‘remembering’ 15 times in his farewell speech to motivate his people to obedience to God (Mosiah 1:3,4,6,7,17; 2:40 twice, 41 twice; 4:11,28,30; 5:11,12; 6:3).

Remembering God’s mercy in our lives brings us to accept His most notable role, that of being an Advocate before the judgment bar of God: “…for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.” (98:9)

When we come before that judgment bar, we will need mercy more than ever before. This mercy will be offered only to the penitent and is not to be used as excuse for our lack of repentance, as a lot of people tend to do (see Alma 42:24,25; Ether 12:24; D&C 38:14; 50:16; 101:9)

I used to think, through my study of the scriptures, that the Saviour was overly merciful, especially to the House of Israel which He called the ‘backsliding’ ‘rebellious house’ (see Jeremiah 3:6,8,11,12,14,22; Ezekiel 12:2,3,9,25). Then one year I had a great insight into the Saviour’s mercy. I realised He could have never endured the cross if it wasn’t for his abundant mercy towards those lesser than Him. It was that mercy in Him that drove Him through the last leg of His suffering journey.

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever……” (89:1)

Will You come and carry me

When all my strength is gone?

Will Your mercy spill from You

When I can walk no more?

 

Will Your mercy lift me higher

To glimpse my eternal home?

Will I see my soul there

Before Your gilded throne?

 

When the sum of my life is done

Will You bring me home to keep?

I’ll want to kneel and honour You

Before Your Mercy Seat.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

MERCY 1

 

The Promise of Dawn by Dan Gerhartz

Mercy has been one of the Saviour’s attributes I thought I understood well. Not until recently did I realise I only understood it partially.

I have for a while now been praying for mercy regarding my illness. I have wanted a healing. There have been days when I felt the absence of it acutely and I am ashamed to admit with that absence came disbelief of God’s love. I could simply not understand it. I thought I qualified even just for a fraction of the ample mercy we are told is ever at the Saviour’s disposal to give.

As I reflected on this phenomenon recently I thought there must be something I was missing and there certainly was. It was given to me to see clearly that mercy cannot be given on demand, otherwise it is not mercy. Mercy comes from one who is merciful to give. It cannot be manipulated, demanded, expected, or even earned. It comes from the Saviour’s merciful heart and therefore it comes on His terms. Saviour’s mercy is a gift that should be trusted in but when and how it is offered is up to Him.  

Our part in receiving mercy is trust. Because mercy is usually given as a form of relief but if that relief was given us prematurely, it could jeopardize our growth and learning. Consider the multi-faceted answers to our prayers and you will see how complex deliverance of mercy can be:

”If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.

“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there would be no evil – all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls. Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood.” (President Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, p 97).

Enduring something difficult when a promise of mercy has been given but is not forthcoming is not for faint hearted. Trusting someone we do not see or something we have no proof of is a hard doctrine. We live by sight in this world and we often fail in our faith. I have often wondered how the Saviour can be so restrained and so tolerant of us when we lack in our faith in Him and then I came across this scripture which helped me to understand:

“I am Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning, therefore my hand shall be over thee” (Abraham 2:8)

Notice how He did not say, “I know all things from beginning to the end”. Instead He said it the other way around. He said, “I know THE END”. In other words, I know how this is going to end up. I know the end product of YOU. I can be tolerant with you and what you are going through because I know the end.

The Saviour is not so concerned about where we have been but He focuses on the direction we are facing and where that direction will help us end up. For that good He reserves His mercy for the times and events in our lives that will be profitable for that end. His main concern is our eternal well-being and what we will become. This concern overrides the comfort and ease we expect in this life. He is ever driven by the work He shares with the Father to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN  

THE MEDIATOR

 

Advocate With the Father by LDS Bookstore

“Each of us lives on a kind of spiritual credit. One day the account will be closed, a settlement demanded. However casually we may view it now, when that day comes and the foreclosure is imminent, we will look around in restless agony for someone, anyone, to help us….

“Unless there is a mediator, unless we have a friend, the full weight of justice untampered, unsympathetic, must, positively must, fall on us. The full recompense for every transgression, however minor or however deep, will be exacted from us to the uttermost farthing.

“But know this: Truth, glorious trust, proclaims there is such a Mediator. ‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’  (1 Timothy 2:5). Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice. This truth is the very root of Christian doctrine.”

-          Boyd K. Packer, “The Mediator”  General Conference April 1977

 

Like a bird in flight

My sins ascend to Thee;

Rising from the ashes of mortality,

They seek Thy love to set them free.

- Cathryne Allen 

HOW GREAT THOU ART

 

Christ by Jechoon Choi

How commendably patient Thou art

With the slow progress of

My proud heart;

How great Thy wisdom,

How great Thy mercy,

How great Thy love

That fills my joyful heart;

How very great Thou art!

 

-       Cathryne Allen

HIS GREATNESS

 

I contemplated the Saviour’s greatness upon awakening today and the scriptures I have loved and admired came into my mind like Joseph’s admiration and praise of ‘King Immanuel’ which has many times brought me down to my knees:

“Let the mountains shout for joy and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy!

“And let the sun, moon and the morning stars sing together and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever. And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory and salvation, and honour, and immortality and eternal life, kingdoms, principalities and powers!”   (D&C 128:23)

I also remembered how His greatness and His power will be manifest when He returns:

“O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence – Yea when thou comest down and the mountains flow down at thy presence….And so great shall be the glory of your presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places.”  (D&C 133:40-53)

All that immense, immense, power yet nothing compares to His love, His compassion and His mercy. When he comes we shall acknowledge his loving kindness, his love and his pity on those he has redeemed…….if we follow Him that we might know Him and be recipients of such now…..

My desire to bring Thee honour

My desire to bring Thee joy

Shall forever through my faith in Thee

With devotion be known.

 

In the depths of my heart You bid me follow

My love freely flows from me,

My offering so small but faithful

With honour I give to Thee.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Everlasting God by Spencer Rasmussen)

THE ADVOCATE

 

When man goes before the ‘judgment bar’ and faces God, ‘the Judge of all’ we will each need a ‘defense attorney’ (2 Nephi 33:15; Alma 11:44; Hebrews 12:23). Being this ‘defense attorney’ is one of the Saviour’s roles we should understand and revere the most. It is the role of the Advocate.

When we stand before the Great Judge, we will be accused of being imperfect and unworthy to enter God’s presence because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Saviour will stand beside us as our Advocate to plead for mercy for us but with a huge difference.

In an earthly judicial system, the defense lawyer pleads the cause on the basis that the client is innocent. In the case of eternal judgment, this is an impossibility because God knows everything, therefore, he knows that there is no innocence in any of us. When the Saviour steps forward to plead our case, He will not be pointing to our lack of guilt; rather He will be bringing the Father’s attention to His own righteousness and sinless state. This is the difference. This will be the plea:

“Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of Him who thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life” (D&C 45:3-5; Hebrews 7:25; D&C 38:4; 110:4).

This is parental love, this is utmost protection, this is unfathomable sacrifice of a Father for His spiritually begotten children. Consider this story:

“On more than one occasion, a devoted mother pleaded with Abraham Lincoln for the life of a son who had committed a serious offense while serving in the Union forces. Often, touched by that mother’s own sacrifice for her country, Lincoln granted the pardon. Perhaps he thought, “Not for your sons’s sake, but for your sake I will pardon him”.

“Likewise, God the Father must have been deeply moved by the incomparable sacrifice of the Saviour. Like the mother who pleaded for the life of her son, the Saviour pleads for the spiritual lives of His spiritual children.” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, p 326)

Imagine the indescribable sorrow of standing before the judgment bar of God with no one to protect you and to plead for mercy for your eternal welfare and existence. Imagine standing there all alone, belonging to no one. This need never be if we just believe on His name and accept His path to salvation. He is our hope, He is the way, the truth, the life.

 

Like a bird in flight

My sins ascend to Thee;

Rising from the ashes of mortality,

They seek Thy love to set them free.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Son of Man by Chris Brazelton)

KING OF MERCY

 

“The Saviour suffered for our sins, and sickness, in part to perfect his mercy. We are indebted to the prophet Alma for our knowledge of the full measure of His suffering: “He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people, and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities (Alma 7:11-12)….. He suffered these afflictions as we suffer them, according to the flesh. He suffered them all. He did this to perfect his mercy and his ability to lift us above every earthly trial.” (Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p 7).

I was somewhat perplexed when I read this quote not quite understanding what President Hunter meant by the Saviour suffering in order to ‘perfect His mercy’. Scripturally, to be perfect means to be brought to its’ end, to be finished, to be fully developed, having accomplished one’s purpose (M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, Ensign Nov 1995, p 86,88).  In that respect, this statement makes sense. Christ’s mercy began in pre-existence when He volunteered to save us, but the perfection of it was achieved in His mortal life.

When we think of mercy, forgiveness of our sins comes to mind, first and foremost. However, mercy is a multi-faceted attribute. Aside from forgiveness, Christ’s mercy extends to help or succor, as President Hunter pointed out. His mercy also comes in not so obvious ways but ways which lead to ultimate end for human kind, as in mercy in establishing His Church and saving ordinances which lead us to eternal life. That’s also mercy.

Consider the ordinance of baptism. Without it there is no entrance to Celestial Kingdom. The Book of Mormon highlights its importance so well. When Alma, who had fled from King Noah with a small band of followers, preached to them the covenant of obedience by the waters of Mormon, the people were so overcome with joy that they committed to baptism there and then (Mosiah 18:10,11). Alma's first baptism was a man called Helam. His words to him took the baptismal covenant to a new level. He said: Helam, I baptise thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead...." (Mosiah 18:13). This is serious stuff. Especially considering that anciently covenants were not broken even at the point of death. This is not just about obedience but also endurance.

The best way to endure something to the end is by constant remembrance….hence the sacrament. Each Sunday we have the privilege of taking the sacrament to keep in remembrance our baptismal covenant of obedience, but not only that. It also promises Christ’s spirit will be with us if we keep the covenant. How is His spirit administered to us? Through the medium of the Holy Ghost. And what is the Holy Ghost’s primary function? Sanctification. Every time we take the sacrament  AND repent of our wrong doings, the Holy Ghost sanctifies us and preserves the remission of our sins which we were mercifully granted at the time of our baptism. Remission leads to eventual forgiveness.

I have often thought Christ’s tolerance and mercy towards us is excessive but as I reflected on it a thought came to me that He could have never subjected himself to such an unjust life, and indeed most unjust  death, if He was any other way. When He said in pre-existence, “I will save them”, He meant it and He implemented every possible way to safeguard that salvation. This is ultimate mercy. This is who Jesus Christ is.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Portrait of Christ by Chris Brazelton) 

TO BE A BELIEVER

 

“When the Lord Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples on the evening of the Resurrection Sunday, one of the apostles, Thomas, was absent. He was informed of what the others had witnessed, but was unconvinced; even their solemn testimony, “We have seen the Lord”, failed to awaken an echo of faith in his heart. In his state of mental skepticism he exclaimed: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).  (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 689)

James Talmage goes on to say that Thomas “may have regarded the reported manifestations as a series of subjective visions” (p 690). Or maybe belief that it was too good to be true, aided his incredulity or even that he felt cheated he did not see his beloved Master as others did. Whatever the reason, resurrection was up to that point in time considered to be ‘some mysterious and remote event, not a present possibility’ (p 683) so Thomas’ hesitation to accept such an event seems understandable. Even though Jesus spoke of His death and resurrection before it happened, His apostles did not fully understand it and might have even thought He was speaking figuratively (Luke 24:44-46). And here is something wonderful about Thomas. Even though he showed a moment of weakness post resurrection, his strength of character was such that he was willing to suffer persecution and death with the Saviour (John 11:7-16).

What touches me deeply in this story is Christ’s mercy. He knew exactly what Thomas had said regarding the witness he sought but there was no judgment or chastisement for his unbelief but only, ‘Thomas, come and see and be believing’ (John 20:27). And then, even a benediction, after Thomas acknowledged his Lord and God: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (v 29).

Does it make you feel blessed for believing without seeing??? How many of us since Christ’s resurrection have believed on the scriptures that have taught us about this most important event in earth’s history? I have never seen an immortal, resurrected body and I do not know of anyone that has. I know Joseph Smith has and no doubt other prophets have. We, who have not, have been blessed with the administration of the Holy Ghost who whispers the truth to our hearts and bears witness of God’s Beloved Son. It’s a noble thing to be a believer. 

-  CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Giovanni Antonio Carravagio 1602)

PRIVILEGE OF MERCY

 

 There is a chapter in the book of Jacob that tugs at my heart. It is chapter 5 that gives us the allegory of the olive tree. It is impossible to enumerate the history and all the aspects of the beauty of this allegory in such a short post. It makes me extremely grateful, however, for the two men who made this treasure available to us: Nephi who accomplished the dangerous task of obtaining the brass plates; and our beloved Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, for all he suffered to bring the Book of Mormon to the world.

There was a prophet in Israel by the name of Zenos who lived between the time of Abraham and Isaiah and who was martyred for his testimony (Helaman 8:19,20); whose prophecies of Christ’s mission are found only in the Book of Mormon (see Guide to the Scriptures). We know of this prophet because of the brass plates which were taken to the land of the Americas with Lehi and his colony in 600 B.C.

Whilst it is not my wish to overshadow the importance of the House of Israel's lengthy history contained within this allegory, which begs thorough study, and which spans from the time of the first scattering in 721 BC to the Millenium, it is my intention to focus on the Saviour and how he relates to us who are of this House. In the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard sets about plucking, pruning, digging and grafting. He also grieves, preserves, labours, watches and tends to the vineyard constantly, but in particular one tree, the tame olive tree. This tree represents the House of Israel. The Lord’s frantic efforts to ensure its’ divine destiny can be seen through repetitious declarations of His love and long-suffering: His desire to preserve the vineyard is mentioned in the parable 11 times; at least 15 times the Lord expresses His desire to bring the vineyard and its' harvest 'unto my own self'; 8 times He says 'it grieveth me to lose the trees of my vineyard'; and 3 times He asks with anguish, weeping, 'what could I have done more for my vineyard?' The central theme of this allegory is the Saviour's enduring mercy, long-suffering, loving care and his most dedicated work towards His favoured people, the House of Israel. This is the privilege of mercy.

After he recounts the allegory of the olive tree to his people, Jacob exclaims: "....how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long...O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life, O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:4,11,12). What indeed?

 

Thy love for Thy people is beyond compare,

Thy mercy affixed forever more.

Thy power delivers us and

Thy loving kindness gathers us;

We are restored by Thy merciful might,

We are Israel, children of light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lord of the Vineyard by Scott Sumner)

MERCIFUL JEHOVAH

 

I am always amazed when I cross paths with a member of the Church who does not study the Old Testament. My only reaction is: How much you miss….. I love all scriptures but my favourite is the Old Testament and here is why. In the Book of Mormon, I see the promised Messiah; in the Doctrine and Covenants, I see the majestic Christ; in the Pearl of Great Price, I see the pre-mortal God; in the New Testament, I see the loving Saviour; but in the Old Testament I see the merciful Jehovah. Out of all His attributes, this to me, is the most important, because it is His mercy in the end that grants my salvation. 

 

Anyone who studies the Old Testament and understands the history of the House of Israel cannot possibly deny the Saviour’s mercy. The book of Ezekiel alone stands as a witness of this. In Ezekiel’s day, the Lord had three significant prophets: Jeremiah, in the court of Judah, Daniel in the court of Babylon, and Ezekiel, a prophet called to the exiles in Babylonia. We know that ancient Israel rejected Jehovah and turned to other gods becoming so entrenched in sin that they became ripe for destruction and captivity.  You would wonder why after so much warning they received in Jerusalem, the Lord would even bother to call them to repentance yet again whilst in exile but so serious did He consider Ezekiel’s calling that He told him if he didn’t do it, He would hold him responsible for their sins (Ezekiel 3:17,18). And this is an interesting thing….with every instruction the Lord gave him, He told him the people will not believe him because ‘the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted’ (Ezekie2:7). Six times He called the Israelites ‘a rebellious house’ (Ezekiel 2:5,6,7,9,26,27). Despite all their wickedness and stubbornness, mercy……

 

Because of God’s foreknowledge, He knew which one of us would be saved and which would be lost. You would think because of this foreknowledge the Saviour didn’t have to atone for everyone. It would certainly lessen the pain of Gethsemane. Yet He hung on the cross despite His power to end it, until every soul was accounted and atoned for, until He could say: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Is this not mercy?

 

Will the sinner for whom you suffered, 

Who rejected and reviled Thee

Weep in the end for Thy pain and Thy sorrow?

Will his heart understand

When he kneels before Thee

The debt he owes for the existence

Of his merciful tomorrow?

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(ART: Portrait of the Christ by Richard L George)