Those of us who have experienced the Son of David’s even greater grace, often feel the same way don’t we? We bow in awe and wonder, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” Think about that and then watch a beautiful video illustration of your salvation (RSS/email click here).

O, yes, I remember my miserable lostness, my ugly sores of sin, my suspicions of my Savior, and my first crumbs of grace. I remember His gentle winning love, His undergirding arms, His warm welcome, His tender washing, His patient healing, His delight in me.

And, wonder of all wonders, He’ll never make a video to find a “forever home” for me.

Because I’m already forever home.

No matter what happens, someone else is always to blame.

They have a deep sense of injustice over the way life is unfolding for them.

They feel unfairly treated in every area of life: work, school, relationships, sport, family, etc.

They’re not prepared to work particularly hard in any of these areas, and yet expect to have the best job, the best results, the best friendships, the best scores, etc.

The core belief is “I deserve better.”

How do you deal with this? How would you help this person?

I want to change their core belief to, “I get what I deserve.” I feel this would make them take responsibility and stop blaming everyone else when things don’t work out.

“If I don’t get a job, it’s because I didn’t look hard enough. If I fail my exam, it’s because I didn’t study hard enough. If I don’t have any friends, it’s because I’m not friendly to others. If I don’t win, it’s because I didn’t train hard enough, etc.”

I want to burn into their soul, “I get what I deserve. I get what I deserve. I get what I deserve.”

Because that’s generally how the world works. At times we might suffer a bit of unfairness, and at other times we might enjoy more success than we worked for. But, in general, hard work is rewarded and laziness is punished. We get what we deserve.

And yet. And yet. I hesitate. At least I hesitate to press this too hard.

Because I don’t want to undermine the principle and power of GRACE.

I want this person to be converted to Christ. I want them to embrace salvation by grace, I want them to enjoy the magnificent mercy of being saved despite what we deserve. I want them to experience the exhilarating exchange of “I got what Jesus deserved, and Jesus got what I deserved” (2 Cor. 5:21).

I want them to get the principle and power of GRACE in salvation more than anything else in the world.

Yet I also want them to get the principle and power of JUSTICE in vocation, education, etc.

How do I balance this? How do I prioritize? How do I avoid the “dangers” of grace? How do I avoid the dangers of justice? A life is passing, attitudes are hardening, habits are setting, worldview is engraining.

Can someone help me here?

This psalm recounts God’s multiple deliverances of His people and defeats of His enemies, each line concluding with, “For His mercy endures forever.” In the Scottish metrical version of the Psalm, that phrase alternates with: “For His grace fails never.” So, over 26 verses you sing “For his mercy endures forever” thirteen times, and “For His grace fails never” thirteen times. You could say it’s the Psalms’ version of “Amazing Grace.”

As an unbelieving teenager being raised in a Psalm-singing church, I often remember the congregation singing this Psalm (one of the pastor’s favorites) and thinking, “Man, this is so boring! Why all the repetition? Why can’t they just sing of grace and mercy once and be done with it?”

What a difference the actual experience of Christ’s grace and mercy makes!

Because, as we were singing through Psalm 136 this week, I found myself thinking, “I could sing of grace and mercy forever and ever…” When you’ve tasted Christ’s grace and mercy, it becomes the song of your heart and your life. And no matter how much you hear about it, speak about it or sing about it, it increasingly amazes and excites.

It certainly never bores. It’s sin that does that.

UPDATE: Just discovered Tim Keller on reading and praying through the Psalms.