Presumptuous Sins - ... by my presumptuous living, I have mocked His mercy ...

Surely I am most vain, O my soul,

How pathetic must my condition be,

That I would presume on the mercy of God.

How can I be so foolish to believe

God shall freely favor me in the very thing,

That He has so severely punished His own Son?

How absurdly foolish I am to think that the holy blood of Jesus was shed so that I might cherish sin?

Awake! Awake! O my soul,

Do not be deceived,

The Christ who is come to save,

Also calls me and all to repentance.

What kind of nonsense would you think O my soul,

So as to say by my actions,

That because God is merciful, 

patient and abounding in love,

I am free to abuse 

His mercies in sinning,

His patience by continuing to freely sin,

and His great love by my lack of love?

Surely by my presumptuous living,

I have mocked His mercy,  

Defied His Word,

And invited His wrath.

Do not be so foolish O my soul,

To believe that God is so merciful,

That He shall be untrue to Himself.

All the ways of God are love,

Each is filled with mercies brand new,

And eternal truth.

Surely the Lord is my all in all, O my soul,

Out of Himself, He freely grants me:

Mercy to support me in my weakness,

Truth to reveal Him to me in my error,

And love to find me when I am lost.

Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me.

Great is Your faithfulness and favor,

Surely it last to all generations,

To all those who call upon You.

Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy and forgive me.

“If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with You there is forgiveness,

that You may be feared.

I wait for the LORD,

my soul waits,

and in his word I hope.” Ps 130:3-5

Wait for the Lord, O my soul,

Hope in Him, O my soul,

And wait for Him.

For though I am dead in my trespasses,

The Living God makes alive in Christ,

Having forgiven me all my trespasses,

By canceling the record of debt that stands against me

With all its legal demands.

He has set this aside, set it apart from me,

By nailing it to the cross of Christ. Co 2:13-14.

Look to the Lord and repent, O my soul,

“For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.” Ps 130:7

Have mercy, O Christ,

have mercy and be gracious to me. Amen.

pmwl