Psalm 130; Acts 13:4-12

Psalm 130
This psalm mentions at least 4 specific times when we should count on the mercy of the Lord.

1.  When we are in the depths of despair. (vv.1-2) Sometimes our situations seem hopeless, and these are the very times when we need to lean most heavily on God who, in reality, is the only one who can truly help us.

2.  When we consider our sin. (vv. 3-4) You may have heard people say that they think they will go to heaven because on a grand scale, their good deeds outweigh the bad. These verses teach us that if God holds us responsible for our sins, if He keeps a record of them, we are sunk! But God offers forgiveness for all who put their trust in His Son Jesus. He doesn't keep a record of our sins because Jesus has already paid the penalty for them. Because of His great mercy toward us, we should fear (revere) Him.

3.  When we feel we are in the dark. (vv. 5-6)  When we can't sleep (which hardly ever happens to me by the way), it seems as if the morning will never come. Figuratively, our troubles may seem so dark that they will never be dispelled. This is the time to count on the Lord, to put your hope in His word.

4.  When we feel caught in a tight spot. (vv. 7-8) God redeemed Israel out of Egyptian slavery, and He promised to redeem them out of every kind of sin. He offers us the same.

Acts 13:4-12
These verses record the first missionary journey of Saul and Barnabas and their assistant, John Mark. These early missionaries were obeying God and spreading the truth of the Gospel. As usually happens in the Lord's work, they face some opposition. The opposition in this case came from a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (also called Elymas) who worked for the governor. He was a false prophet, and he knew that if his boss were to learn the truth of God's Word, he'd be out of a job, and so he discouraged the governor, Sergius Paulus, from listening to Barnabas and Saul.

Paul, (in v. 9, we see Saul called Paul for the first time) rebuked the man mercilessly. "You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud...for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind,..." And indeed he was struck blind. The governor, upon seeing this, became a believer.  As we think about Paul's reaction, we must realize that there are times that call for kindness and gentleness and times that call for harsh measures. It's so important for us to trust the Lord to know the difference.