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Psalm 86:15
But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
13For your loving kindness is great toward me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
14God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
15But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
16Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant.
17Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, LORD, have helped me, and comforted me.
Notice
“But you, Lord” turns from violent men toward God’s mercy, making his character the ground for prayer while the threat remains.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What difference, if any, does God being “slow to anger” make to how you approach him?
Write on thisWhat would you want to say to this merciful God while a concern remains unresolved?
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Where else Scripture says this
11 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Exodus 34:6The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,The psalm repeats Exodus’s description of God as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
Lamentations 3:22It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.Both passages name God’s mercy and loving kindness; Lamentations connects them with his people’s survival.
2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come …God’s slowness to anger in the psalm shares a thread with the Lord’s patience in Peter’s account of repentance.
Psalm 103:8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.Both psalms describe the Lord as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
Ephesians 2:4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,Both passages speak of God’s mercy and love in terms of abundance: abundant loving kindness and great love.
Jonah 4:2He prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, LORD, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew …Jonah names the same mercy, grace, patience, and abundant loving kindness that Psalm 86 names in prayer.
Joel 2:13Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and …Joel grounds the command to return to God in the same gracious, merciful character praised in Psalm 86.
1 Peter 5:10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and …Psalm 86 names God as gracious; Peter addresses the God of all grace in a prayer for sufferers.
1 John 4:8He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.Both passages speak of love as belonging to God’s character: abundant loving kindness in the psalm, and love in John.
Psalm 130:7Israel, hope in the LORD, for there is loving kindness with the LORD. Abundant redemption is with him.Both psalms name loving kindness as belonging to the Lord, with Psalm 130 making it a reason for Israel’s hope.
Ephesians 1:7In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his graceThe psalm names God as gracious; Ephesians speaks of the riches of his grace in redemption and forgiveness.
Where this verse fits
Fear for the future. wanting a steady prayer habit.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The threat has not passed when this prayer names God’s mercy. Your unresolved concerns can be spoken to the same Lord, whose loving kindness and truth are abundant.
Now put it in your words.
Start an entry on Psalm 86:15. Write what it stirs. Psalmlog sets your words beside Scripture and gives you one next step. Your first entry is free, no account needed.
Keep goingPsalm 86 · the whole chapter with its connection mapPsalms · every chapterBuild a reading plan through Psalms
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).