Psalm 28 What do I Deserve?

One of the most common cries that I hear today is from someone declaring that they “deserve” something: we deserve a higher wage; we deserve student loan forgiveness; we deserve free healthcare; we deserve a bigger stimulus check. The other side of the aisle is just as vocal: we deserve the right to bear arms; we deserve a government that can balance the books; we deserve safe and closed borders.

Without disclosing my own bias, I’d like to offend both parties with one simple statement: no you don’t! You don’t deserve anything!

A simple reading of Scripture will help us all to understand that, as sinners who have rebelled against an all-powerful, perfectly holy God, the only thing we deserve is eternal punishment in hell.

Every blessing that we receive that is less than that horrible end is due to God’s grace. Perhaps spending a little more time in Scripture will help us to readjust our priorities, to be more grateful for what we already have, and to stop demanding so much more from a God who has already given us far more than we deserve.

Please read Psalm 28 now.

As we begin this psalm, David makes a bold cry to the Lord. In his cry, David makes the shocking statement: “if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” If God refuses to show David grace, then he is destined to suffer the same fate as every other evil-doer.

David is not self-righteous. He knows of his heinous sins. He is an adulterer, a murderer, a rebel, and a liar. He understands where he is headed. Just like the rest of the wicked, David deserves to be judged “according to the evil of their deeds… according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.” His due reward is to suffer in hell, just like the rest of the wicked.

But for the grace of God. God has shown mercy to David. God hears David’s plea and rescues him from the pit. When David cries to God for help, God listens.

The same is true for you and me. When we admit our sins and cry to God for forgiveness, He hears our plea. Jesus Christ died to pay the price for our sins. If we would just turn away from our wicked ways and put our complete trust in Jesus Christ, then we will be saved—not because we deserve it, but because we serve such a gracious God.

Salvation truly is a gift from God. We are not saved because we are righteous, but because God “has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.”

Everything we have is a gift from God. He is our strength. When we trust in Him, we can resist the temptations of the evil one. He is our shield.

Let us sing songs of thanks to God! Let us ever praise Him with our lips and serve Him with our hands! Blessed be the Lord! He is our saving refuge! He is our Shepherd! We will follow Him.

I know what I really deserve, but praise be to God that He has shown me grace!