Mercy
“Have mercy on me, oh Lord…”
A thief approached the bank teller’s window and shouted with a pistol in his hand: “Give me the money or I will kill you!” The woman, frightened by the unexpected and violent assault, began to throw the money in a large bag, while at the same time she was begging the robber repeatedly:
“Please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me!”
The thief grinned with a diabolical satisfaction, seeing all the money that would soon be his, and the fright he had caused the poor teller. He was enjoying the moment so much, that he did not notice when three police officers entered the bank and surrounded him.
“Put the gun down and your hands up!” They ordered him.
The thief turned around with the intention of killing the police officers, but before he could even pull the trigger, three bullets entered his body; one in his right leg, one in his left foot and the other, in the hand that was holding the gun.
“Don’t kill me, please!” he said. The one that had caused so much fear was now crying like a baby; the one that had no compassion, was now begging for his life.
In this same way David begged God for mercy and forgiveness, forgetting that he did not have pity on Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. David slept with her and then gave orders to leave Uriah abandoned in the middle of a battle to die.
How great is our God! He forgave the one that refused to forgive. God takes pity on us, not because we deserve it, but because he loves us. It is not in vain that the Bible says that God is gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness.
