"And David said to Gad [the prophet], 'I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.' "
When faced with the options of dealing directly with God, or with man, David chose God. Why? Because he knew the Lord to be gracious and merciful. Also, he knew that man can be cruel and brutal. What an enlightened perspective! Today, most sinners imagine themselves to be good, fair, and even-handed; while they think God is mean and unreasonable.
Actually, the exact opposite is the case. The Lord is good; He is slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindnesses. Sinners, on the other hand, are vicious and unjust. Let us today--like David--cast ourselves on *God's* mercy, trusting in Jesus, and not in man.
[Puritan quote of the day: "That sin is worse than affliction is evident because the greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life is to let him sin without control." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]
