The psalm is filled with 15 requestssome of them are repetitive. I hope there is not a creature alive who has had deeper convictions than I had, or five years of more intolerable agony than those which crushed the very life out of my youthful spirit. Help me to tear down any false god or foolish idol that I have created in my own imagination. He speaks, and it is done. June 2023. Psalms for the Anxious Heart is a short, daily devotional that offers meditations of truth and peace. If any unbeliever should tell you that there is no wrath to come, you would reply, "There is, for I feel it is due to me. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15. January 2015 In the name of my Savior, Jesus, I pray. "Men show no mercy; we ourselves deserve no mercy, but, Lord, for mercy-sake, be merciful unto me." A devotional thought and prayer centered on Psalm 86:5. Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother I did. King David was not exempt from the trials and tribulations that come from living in a fallen world. All Beholding Beauty devotionals are written as short, worshipful reflections to help you meditate on God's Word. He pleads his relation to God and interest to him; he pleads his distress, he pleads Gods good will towards all that seek Him, and he pleads Gods good work in himself, by which is qualified. Font Size. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. (Psalm 5:1-3, KJV) Psalm 86:5 New International Version 5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. This afternoon, I had to take rather a long journey to visit a friend who is sick unto death, and at his bedside I trust I have learned some lessons of encouragement, and have been animated by witnessing the joy and peace which God grants to his children in their declining hours. Similarly, David repeatedly invokes memories when God intervened on his behalf in times of trouble (Psalm 18:6; 31:22; 40:1-2). (1) First, we must acknowledge to God that we need Him (Psalm 86:1). He repeats this again (Psalms 86:6; Psalms 86:6): "Give ear, O Lord! You know how Bunyan describes Christian as being much tumbled up and down in his mind; and when his wife and children came round about him, he could only tell them that the city in which they lived was to be destroyed; and though his easy-going neighbors told him not to believe it, and not to make such a fuss about it, the truth had come home to him with too much power to be put away. Every past experience of Gods goodness to us is a promise of His continued blessing. Pardon is an instantaneous work justification is rapid as a lightning flash. Merciful (Psalm 86:3, 5, 13, 15-16) Good (Psalm 86:5, 10) Able to forgive (Psalm 86:5) Helper (Psalm 86:7-8, 10, 17) The only God (Psalm 86:8, 10) Maker of nations . 86% positive over last 12 months. . 8-10) and his own devotion to God (vv. His faithfulness. It is over his pardoned people, his blood-bought chosen ones. God is ready that is to say, he is prepared to forgive all who will believe in Jesus Christ. The Lord loveth a cheerful giver, and I am sure that he is himself a cheerful Giver. And you can find practically every one of these a quotation from another psalm. He is a sin-pardoning God; not only he can forgive, but he is ready to forgive, more ready to forgive than we are to repent. 1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. June 2015 Structure Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. He's longsuffering. Psalms 85-86 The steadfast love of God Israel had again suffered God's punishment in being defeated by its enemies. The first of these ( Psalms 86:1-5) is a series of petitions, each supported by a plea. And when we sin, He is ready to forgive us because of His goodness, and also the love He has for us. v2 Save me from death because I am one of your people. The petitions are the well-worn ones which spring from universal need, and there is a certain sequence in them. Yes, we are saved by his grace and his work to . September 2016 (Psalm 25:4-5) When we wait on God it shows a spirit of trust and humility, of loving obedience, of hope and confidence, of a most intimate friendship and of the deepest reverence for our Creator. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Find out why us, what's new, what matters, and then who we are! His goodness appears in two things, giving and forgiving. Loving Father there is no one like You and I praise and worship You for Your love towards me. 3. July 2017 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. He trusts in Gods steadfast love (86:1-7). Then we come to our focus verse, and in this he declares why. "A Prayer of David 1 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. To walk the lazar-house, and hear that there is no physician there! Jan 30, 2023 Jan 30 . All through the day, I am praying (this) to you. Any duration. "Jesus turned to Peter and said, 'Get away from me, Satan! What is your answer, my hearer? God is always ready to forgive us of the sins we commit. But knowing the character of God gives me then the confidence in coming to God. Not added . You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. But the apostle knew that, as they had believed, they were fit to be baptized because they were pardoned. Those that trust in God may expect salvation from him. (2) Claim God as Lord of your life, and tell Him of your devotion to Him as His servant (Psalm 86:2). I think that's an excellent prayer. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you. Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long. Israel had again suffered Gods punishment in being defeated by its enemies. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. ", "Sprinkled now with blood the throne, Why beneath thy burdens groan? A devotional thought and prayer centered on Psalm 86:5. Full Forecast . I came to his feet very timidly, and said, "Surely, he will spurn me hence. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. My conscience tells me that I am condemned already, and ere long I am quite certain to drink of the wormwood and the gall of the wrath of God." 4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. You have signed your own death-warrant, you have put on the black cap, and condemned yourself; or, rather, you have pleaded guilty before your Judge, you have said, "Guilty, my Lord;" and now you think you see before your eye the scaffold, and yourself ready to be executed. The word "ready" is also frequently used to signify cheerfulness. Read full chapter Psalm 86:5 in all English translations Psalm 85 Psalm 87 New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. and thou art gone, O earth, and my soul is in heaven! "Ready" means, as you all know, prepared. But this rings like a marriage peal: "Ready to forgive. Wilt thou not ask the Lord to forgive thee? He ends this verse by declaring that only to Him does he lift up his soul. He has brought it home to you in this life that he may remove it for ever from you in the life that is to come. The secret to peace and true happiness is found in God alone. Psalm 86:5. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. His goodness and love. O ye that are ready to perish, I sympathize with you in your present sufferings, but I do not lament them! All his saints are in thy hand,Deuteronomy 33:3. 2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. He has made you tremble now that you may not tremble then. (I am) someone that is *trusting in you. The point upon which David now insists is, that God is bountiful and inclined to compassion, and that his mercy is so great, as to render it impossible for him to reject any who implore his aid. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. My second text is in Psalms 86:5 : "READY TO FORGIVE." There is no necessity that you should wait even another hour for this great blessing. Psalm 86:5 - Our Lord Is Loving and Merciful July 11, 2018 2,435 Views Thoughts on Today's Verse From this verse, we can see that God has mercy and love, and is ready to forgive people. You know, dear friends, that the motto of our navy is, "Ready, ay, ready! 2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted; save your servant who trusts in you. Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 86:3-4. When People are Big and God is Small. If I do not know that God is merciful, then it's difficult for me to ask for mercy. With proud and violent men as enemies, it is a sign for good (Psalm 86:14, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life). Psa 86:14. Human nature is, like a blind man, always in danger; nay worse than that, it is like a blind man upon the verge of a tremendous cliff, ready to take the fatal step which will lead to his destruction. "That is something like my present subject, for I have three texts in which the word "Ready" occurs, each time in a different connection. He looks upon himself as ready to perish because his final overthrow appears to be so close. November 2013 Psalm 86:5 Parallel Verses New American Standard Bible For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. All in all, God is the key to everything. v3 My *Lord, give me *mercy! September 2013 While he finds himself in a difficult situation he remains confident that God hears and is able to save him. It is a virtual mosaic of other psalms, and its quotations are almost verbatim. Devotions Based on Psalms: Psalm 86 Thursday, July 2. 1-7. For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive. Psalm 86:5a. Let's pray: Dear Lord God we humbly come before You with thanks and praise. The ultimate lesson and bigger picture that encompasses the entire psalm is, Our great needs should drive us to pray to the great God, who alone can deliver us. God is the only one who has control over the world that we live in. March 2013 Determine to not let your circumstances sway you from the things God has for you. To see the flame, but not to know, that it can be quenched! Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. It is an individual lament psalm that speaks out of a situation of disorientation. The basis of his confidence was the fact that Yahweh is the only God and that He does great things. for Wednesday, January 31, 2018 [ Previous Devotionals] You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you. To be in a special manner earnest with God in prayer when he was in affliction (Psalms 86:7; Psalms 86:7): "In the day of my trouble, whatever others do, I will call upon thee, and commit my case to thee, for thou wilt hear and answer me, and I shall not seek in vain, as those did who cried, O Baal! You have already, in imagination, stood before the bar of God; you feel your sentence to be so certain that conscience has read it over in your hearing, and anticipated its terrors. He is not enriched by withholding, nor is he impoverished by bestowing. Soul, give not up hope, for God is ready to forgive. Psalm 40:1-5 Bible, Books of the Bible, Psalms, Christianity, Salvation June 11, 2022 God Cleanses Psalm 51:1-12 Bible, Books of the Bible, Psalms, Christianity, Doctrine, Forgiveness, Discipleship, Prayer June 10, 2022 Fading Beauty Psalm 103:15-18 To be inward with God in prayer, to lift up his soul to him, Psalms 86:4; Psalms 86:4. April 2016 If we do not admit to ourselves that we have sinned against God, than we will not be serious in confessing our sins, or we may not even go to Him at all. We can't place it at a specific time in David's life, because there are too many possible points where this could connect with his general circumstances. He is loving and forgiving and good! My third text is intended as a hammer to drive home the last nail. He lifts himself up to God in prayer to help him in this time of trial. I. "You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you" (Psalm 86:5 CEV). Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. November 2015 About three years ago, I gazed into the eternal world. So it's interesting, verses Psalms 86:5 , Psalms 86:10 , and Psalms 86:15 , he declares the character of God, aspects of God's character. You're gracious. Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour, and whom God hath taken into his favour he will take under his protection. David here is saying that God is a good God, one who is completely good in every way, from whom every good gift comes from. Forgiveness is such a sweet blessing. Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer. Beholding Beauty Devotional: Psalm 5. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 1 John 2:1. Only think of it, the Triune God singing! You can also change some of your preferences. His love is not metered out or carefully rationed. e. Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me: Once again David bases his current expectation on Gods prior help. There are many biblical passages were we read about how God cares for us. A terrible noise was in my ears; my soul was tossed to and fro; I longed to find a refuge, but there seemed to be none; while ever ringing in my ears were the words, "The wrath to come!" He certainly wants to be saved from trouble (this is made clear in vv. 0:39. All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 86:11-17 (Give strength to your servant); Jeremiah 42:18-22 (Warning people not to go to Egypt); Matthew 10:5-23 (Jesus speaks about persecution) ( English Standard Version) June 28, 2023. You are among those who are ready to perish, so permit me to say that I am glad you have come here, for this is the very spot where God delights to display his pardoning grace. May 2014 This is the only psalm ascribed to David in Book 3 (Psalms 73-89). Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord, [Adonai, not Jehovah here]; neither are there any works like unto thy works. Seven times he called God his Lord or Master (Heb. Devotions Based on Psalms: Psalm 130 Wednesday, July 1. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Young men and young women, and all of you who are here, can you look upon the grave which is ready for you with as much complacency as my friend did this afternoon? November 2016 You did not think so once, but you do now. "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.". Here David is praying, "God, just unite my heart towards Thee." Local Entertainment; . These devotionals will help parents learn more about the psalms as they teach their children about praise, prayer, and lament. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. You feel it to be certain that you shall, ere long, be driven from the presence of God with that terrible sentence, "Depart, ye cursed." "It is finished," rings from Calvary's summit; God is ready to forgive. April 2013 Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. Would you cling to these rags of mortality, to this vile body, whose breath is corrupt, whose face is so often marred with weeping, and upon whose eyelids hangs the shadow of death? February 2016 "Oh, how vividly is the wrath to come pictured before the eyes of the awakened sinner! Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 86:5 "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You." - Psalm 86:5 David in this Psalm is crying out to God for help. A man is not ready to go by railway until his trunk is packed, and he is about to start. Whether thou wilt have it so, or no, fast young man in the dawn of thy days; whether thou wilt have it so, or no, blustering merchant in the prime of thine age; whether thou wilt have it so, or no, hardened old man in the petrified state of thy moral conscience; it is so: thou art ready to perish. Here I am, for thou didst call me. [3.] Its thought that Psalm 86 was not penned upon any particular occasion, but was a prayer that David himself often used. David in this Psalm is crying out to God for help. Instead the psalm pieces together verses and phrases from other psalms and scriptures, which causes people to believe that David didnt actually write it himself. Though they have been brutally beaten, they are singing at midnight, singing of pardon bought with blood, singing of the dying and risen Lamb of God; and, as they sing, suddenly there is an earthquake. This particular psalm is an interesting psalm in that practically every every verse is taken from another psalm someplace. Let us always be there for Him when He reaches out to us. " Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy. The bath is filled, O black sinner, so come and wash! Psalm 86:5 Commentaries: For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. February 2014 We ask, "Can you do such-and-such a thing?" Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. And additionally, He and the Father will abide with us. Call Upon the LORD (Psalm 86:5-7) For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Or if we have screwed up in life (who hasn't! Thou art an inn whose doors are always open; thou art whose gates are never closed. Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; I will walk in your truth: unite my heart to fear thy name ( Psalms 86:6-11 ). David appealed to God for preservation as a dependent, needy believer who sought to walk in trust and obedience with his God. By keeping His commands, we show our love to Him. Are we prepared to die, prepared to rise again, prepared to be judged, prepared to plead the blood and righteousness of Christ as our ground of acceptance before the eternal throne? Exodus 19:18. Get close to Him and let Him direct your path and your future. 78248 Phone: 210-493-4501. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. You are like the dying man who gasps for breath, and thinks that each gasp must be his last; his pulse is feeble, his tongue is dry with feverish heat, the clammy sweat is on his brow. He reminds himself and God (it seems) of who God is and what truth is. February 2013 He has made you fear you are perishing that you may have no perishing to fear. Psalm 86:5. ], Davids attitude of humility comes through in the terms he used in addressing God in this psalm. July 2014 O soul, thou sayest that it is nothing to thee now; but when thou art in the article of death, and that may be before another Sabbath's sun shall rise, how might this note ring like music in thy dying ears, "Ready to forgive"! God isn't out to get you. Knowing that God is on the side of those who are treated unjustly, the psalmist calls confidently for his help. All those whom God will save he preserves, and will preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. April 2017 He has put before you these dreadful things that, as with a fiery finger, they may point you to Christ, the only refuge, and, as with a thundering voice, they may cry to you, as the angels cried to Lot, "Escape for thy life, look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." I once had, as thou now hast, that hard thought of my loving Lord, that he would not forgive me. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. Once again we see that while David is crying out for help he is confident in God and His ability to save him. A psalm of 17 verses, Psalm 86 the message verse by verse is a plea for help in times of need. Didst thou say Death, that I was wanted? As soon as he saith, "I will; be thou clean;" the most leprous sinner is perfectly cleansed. I know that some of you imagine that you must endure months of sorrow before you can be forgiven. Psalm 86:1-5 A Sheaf of Prayer Arrows; Psalm 89:15 Continual Sunshine; Psalm 90:17 The Cry of the Mortal to the Undying . The book of Psalms is a collection of poetry, songs, and prayers of the . Interestingly enough, Psalm 86 is Book three of the Psalter and is the only one labeled as written by David. Here was the great reason why the Psalmist looked to the Lord alone for his joy, because every joy creating attribute is to be found in perfection in Jehovah alone. You are ready to perish, in the first place, because you feel sure that you will perish. Add to Cart . He had a family that scoffed at him, friends who . The tree is grown that shall make our coffin; perhaps the fabric that shall make our windingsheet is already woven, and they, carry us to our last home, are ready and waiting for us. Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. "Sinner, God's justice has been satisfied, the sin of all who believe, or who ever will believe, was laid upon Christ when he died upon the tree. Lord please help us to seek Your face and will over all the decisions of our lives. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. June 2014 If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. He giveth forth love, joy, peace, and pardon, and he giveth them as a king gives to a king. So actually the psalmist here, number one, David shows his excellent knowledge of all of the other psalms, because he is just taking verses from so many different psalms. The Lord make us ready, for Christ's sake! While the psalm starts and ends with references to his situation and his requests for salvation, the center sections of the psalm are completely focused on God and Davids devotion to God. Both creation and history show that he is the only true God (8-10). 17 Tools. He had no doubt about his acceptance in the Beloved, or about the power of Christ to carry him through his dying moments. I asked; and he replied, "I have left them all with God." He desires the continuance of former grace 14. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view,". One is always to try to figure it out ourselvesand worry. No one..". Psalms 86:0 is similar to many psalms that David wrote in his times of distress. Psalm 5:8. 1-7 and 14-17) but above all He emphasizes the character of God (vv. If thou believes in him, thy sin was punished upon him, and it was for ever put away by the great atonement which he offered; so that, now, the righteous God can come out of the ivory palace of his mercy, stretch out his hands of love, and say, "Sinner, I am reconciled to thee; be thou reconciled to me. The psalmist has to remind himself of this because . 11-13). June 2013 Those who write themselves down as lost are the special objects of our Savior's mission of mercy, for "the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Having passed through this anguish myself, I think I can describe, from experience, what some of you are now suffering. David is also hopeful that God will be praised as others see Gods protection of His servant. It is founded on the benevolence of God; on the fullness of his mercy to all that invoke his name. You are my God; 3 be gracious to me, Lord; to you I call all the day. It may be that I am also addressing some, who not only realize the sureness and the nearness of their destruction, but they have begun to feel it. 1 Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; for I am poor and needy. That was not Paul's answer; he said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." So he's declaring here the nature of God in the psalm. Any date. Those who preserve their purity in their greatest poverty may assure themselves that God will preserve their comforts, will preserve their souls. In Psalm 86 the psalmist prays, "unite my heart to your name.". Holman Bible For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, you say, "Oh, certainly, with readiness! To the careless, these words, "Ready to perish," should sound an alarm. Today's Verse: Psalm 86:5 Monday, January 31, 2022 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you. He's kind. Be encouraged and grow your faith with daily and weekly devotionals. I would that I could write upon every heart here and grave upon every memory, those sweet words, "Ready to forgive." 4 Gladden the soul of your servant; to you, Lord, I lift up my soul. But it is observable how very plain the language of this psalm is, and how little there is in it of poetic flights or figures, in comparison with some other psalms; for the flourishes of wit are not the proper ornaments of prayer. The premise of the book is that we are prone to giving more weight to what other people say rather than to what God says. That He is just waiting for us to screw up. You may be black one moment, and as white as alabaster the next; guilty, absolved; condemned, acquitted; lost, found; dead, made alive. February 2015 Handsel, 1998. But, now, you feel that you will be lost as surely as if it could be demonstrated to you by logic. It is very apparent that he is struggling and in need of Gods help. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Choose one of the promises from today's devotional, and write a prayer to God expressing your gratitude for his unfailing love and faithfulness. When darkness clutches us, the Psalms urge us to clasp to the memories of God's faithfulness in our . Shipping rates and Return policy . His works that exceed all other's. "no deeds can compare with yours. I am one whom thou favourest (so the margin reads it), whom thou hast set apart for thyself. Farther, although David magnifies the plenteousness of Gods mercy, yet he immediately after represents this plenteousness as restricted to the faithful who call upon him, to teach us that those who, making no account of God, obstinately chafe upon the bit, deservedly perish in their calamities. This psalm was published under the title of a prayer of David; not as if David sung all his prayers, but into some of his songs he inserted prayers; for a psalm will admit the expressions of any pious and devout affections. God loves us. Once, you could afford to put away the thought, with a laugh, as a matter which might, or might not, be true; but, anyhow, it did not much concern you. The pleas with which he enforces these petitions. Psalms 86:1-17 we have another psalm of David. January 2014 Is it not thus that some of you feel just now? In Psalm 86 David uses a distinct structure to show whats central to his thinking. In all the parts of prayer the soul must ascend upon the wings of faith and holy desire, and be lifted up to God, to meet the communications of his grace, and in an expectation raised very high of great things from him. They are fitly described by the Spirit of God in these words of the prophet: "The great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish." Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that is trusting in you. 6015 Alexandria PikeCold Spring, KY 41076nkychurch@gmail.com(859) 359-2205, November 2017 Only to Him does he go for help. Chance of rain 70%. We are dependent on Him in all things, therefore we should always be ready to hear from Him, as well as speak to Him. Even in the midst of difficulties David is focused on the character of God and he is poised to give thanks and praise to God trusting that He will hear and save him. What would some of you have said in reply to that question? July 2015 "Always keep your heart in such a state, your soul so near to Christ, and your faith so fully fixed on him, that, if you should drop dead in the street, or some accident should take away your life, you would be able cheerfully to say, "Ready, ay, ready! II. He's gracious. He hopes God will answer his prayers, because he had inclined him to pray. One of the problems I think that we, all of us, experience is the divided heart. At the same time, he uses the term all, that every man, without exception, from the greatest to the least, may be encouraged confidently to betake himself to the goodness and mercy of God. Daily Devotions Based on Psalms: Psalm 13 Monday, June 29. He had to deal with painful problems from his own rebellions children. The grave then seemed ready for me; it now seems ready for him. It is God only that can put gladness into the heart and make the soul to rejoice, and then, and not till then, the joy is full; and, as it is the duty of those who are God's servants to serve him with gladness, so it is their privilege to be filled with joy and peace in believing, and they may in faith pray, not only that God will preserve their souls, but that he will rejoice their souls, and the joy of the Lord will be their strength. Ready for thee, O Grave, for where is now thy victory? O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, save the son of your handmaid. you should see with what a smile he received the prodigal, with what fond tenderness he clasped him to his breast, with what glad eyes he led him to his house, and with what a radiant countenance he set him by his side, at the head of the table, and said, "Let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and is found."