Psalm 6

"Yahweh, do not punish me in your rage,
or reprove me in the heat of anger."
Psalm 6:1

Lord I could not stand before your anger, so please, I pray, turn your mercy toward me and not your rage even when I deserve it.

How sad God must be that we do not choose life but rather the things that lead to death and destruction. It all seems so easy when we talk about it. Just do the right things, believe in Jesus, and trust in God in all things. But actually putting it into practice? I haven't met anyone yet who feels like they have really got it all together. In fact those who others see as being closer to God than most are the ones who say how far they have yet to go.
God cannot allow evil to stand in his presence and so God rages against all that is evil and not of his goodness. When I look at myself in the mirror of God's righteousness I have no place to stand. So I cry out to God that I might not get what I deserve but rather that I might receive the mercy that comes from his loving hand. I know that pursuing all the things that this world says are worth pursuing: money, things, power, prestige, etc. will lead to my life becoming a ruin empty of meaning and devoid of purpose. Not that the things of this world are necessarily bad but when they are pursued at the expense of following after Jesus they become empty idols.
So may God not give us what we deserve. May his anger at our hard heartedness and hard headedness be stilled and may grace and mercy pour over not just us but all people as we continue to seek after the God of life, the Son of grace, and the Spirit of power.