David severally spoke of the mercy of God. In Psalm 94:18, he connected stability to God’s mercy – “If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.” (NKJV). Also, he pleaded for deliverance on the ground of the mercy of God. “But You, O God the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.” (Psalms 109:21 NKJV). Furthermore, his hope of perfection was hinged on God’s mercy: “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (Psalms 138:8 NKJV). David had firsthand experience of God’s mercy, so he could speak expressly about it. Consider our text for example.
The setting was when he sent some of his men to Nabal for provision and he treated them disrespectfully. David was going to kill Nabal and his family the following morning. He put a curse on himself if he did not kill Nabal and all that belonged to him. Abigail’s intervention prevented that from happening. Yet God did not strike him. That was the mercy of God on display. Many of us are like David. We are often too quick to speak, mostly unwholesome words. Without the mercy of God, many would have been doomed by the words of their mouths. The Bible is clear: there is power in the tongue. It is the knob that controls death and life. We ought to learn not to speak under pressure or when our emotions are high.
