Like a Turtle on a Fencepost: A Lesson That Changes Everything
The Miracle of God's Mercy Changes Everything -- Episode 14 - Psalm 103:10 - From the series, "From Dust to Eternity"
“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” —Psalm 103:10
There’s a saying in Texas that captures something King David wrote about 3,000 years ago in Psalm 103. It goes like this:
A farmer sees a turtle in the middle of the road, in harm’s way. Knowing the creature won’t survive on its own, he stops, picks it up, and sets it gently on top of a fencepost. Later, another farmer and his young son drive by and spot the turtle.
“Daddy,” the boy says, “is that a turtle on a fencepost?”
“Yep,” the father replies.
“But how’d it get there?” the boy asks.
“Well, son, I don’t know,” the farmer says. “But I do know one thing—it didn’t get there on its own.”
The turtle’s story is our story. We are the ones in harm’s way, helpless to save ourselves. But in His mercy, God doesn’t leave us stranded. He acts intentionally, lifting us to places we could never reach on our own. Once we understand this, everything else in our life will change.
(That’s not the end of the story of the turtle. Keep reading!)
In the previous episode, we touched the edges of God’s anger, glimpsing how He restrains it. Now, King David, in this epic Psalm 103, leads us deeper into the vast, uncharted expanse of God’s mercy. Verse 10 is not just a statement; it’s a thunderous declaration of grace, shaking the foundations of what we believe about justice and fairness.
This Could Change Your Life
If we understand what the poet-king says in this verse, we will change our treatment of others. And most personally, we will change even ourselves. Psalm 103:10, when directly applied to the mind and heart of the believer, can even quiet that inner voice that constantly reminds us of our failures, that we are worthless, and that we can’t trust the future because, you know, the other shoe we have been waiting to drop and ruin us, is about to fall.
Read these words and let them settle over you:
“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” —Psalm 103:10
Sit with them. If God truly dealt with us according to our sins, if He repaid us as we deserve, where would we stand? Or rather, could we stand at all?
What’s going on in this verse?
Diving Deep
The Hebrew word for “deal” here, asah, conveys action—deliberation, intention. God isn’t merely brushing aside our sins as though they’re unimportant. He’s actively choosing not to treat us as they demand. And “repay,” gamal, suggests the completeness of recompense. But God, in His mercy, refrains. He doesn’t ignore our iniquities. But more than that. He does not let our sins, shortcomings, iniquities, and false identities define His relationship with us.
This is radical grace—scandalous, even. Our world demands that punishment fit the crime. It thrives on fairness and recompense. But God’s mercy shatters this paradigm. His dealings with us are not transactional; they are transformative. He sees our sin yet moves toward us with a heart bent on restoration rather than retribution.
Unheard Of
To grasp the radical nature of this grace, let’s consider how it might challenge our understanding of justice today.
Consider this: Would the spouse of a murdered victim ever beg the judge for mercy and plead for the killer’s life? Would a widow ever offer to serve the sentence? Would they risk their own life to free the convict and give him a new identity and a new life?
This is not the first time David has presented this mind-blowing idea.
Psalm 130 echoes this marvel: “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness….”
In Psalm 85: 10-11, David alludes to this magnificent mercy in one of the most poetic and beautiful lines in the Psalms. He writes, “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”
Can we even begin to fathom the depth of mercy that chooses forgiveness over judgment?
The Power of the Cross
The cross of Christ is where this truth becomes flesh and blood. Paul wrote to the Romans something that has become so familiar to church-centered Christians that we could might miss the marvel of it.. Paul wrote, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
May I paraphrase this? It means God didn’t sidestep justice; He bore it. He didn’t dismiss our sin; He absorbed it. In Christ, mercy and justice met, and mercy triumphed.
This means that you and I can (and should) think differently about God, the people you meet today, and the person you look at in the mirror. God has shown mercy for them. And you. If they are believers and call upon Jesus's name, God has canceled their debt of sin. And yours, too.
That is the power of Psalm 103:10. If we take it at face value, David has told us what we know from the hymn:
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea. There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner, and more graces for the good. There is mercy with the Savior, there is healing in his blood. But we make God’s love too narrow by false limits of our own, and we magnify its strictness with a zeal God will not own. For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind, and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind. If our love were but more simple, we should rest upon God’s word, and our lives would be illumined by the presence of our Lord.
The Other Lesson from the Turtle
This truth changes everything—how we see ourselves, how we relate to God, and how we treat those around us. Mercy dismantles our self-righteousness and replaces it with gratitude and humility.
We are like that turtle on the fencepost. We didn’t get there on our own. God, in His mercy, lifted us to a place we could never have reached ourselves.
But there is more to the story of the turtle on the fencepost. If we stopped there—the turtle on the fencepost, saved from the traffic, but unable to move—the story would paint an incomplete—and perhaps even cruel—picture of God’s mercy.
After all, what kind of farmer would place a turtle on a fencepost and then leave it stranded, helpless, and unsure of its purpose? The image of the turtle teetering on top of the post might capture something of God’s power to lift us from danger, but it fails to reflect His loving care.
The full picture of God’s mercy is so much richer.
Yes, He rescues us—lifting us from the middle of the road, where we are stranded in our sin and unable to save ourselves.
Yes, He places us in a new position, one we could never have achieved on our own.
But God’s mercy continues. He doesn’t leave us there. He watches over us, protects us, and leads us to where we can flourish. We are not only rescued but also guided to a land of “good and plenty,” a place of safety, abundance, and purpose.
That is how mercy works. We are shown mercy and then we discover a new life!
And in either case—whether it’s the fencepost or the new life—the turtle didn’t get there on its own. Neither do we. God’s mercy lifts us, guides us, and sustains us every step of the way.
So today, think honestly about your “sin debt.” Don’t rush past it—feel the weight of it. Then remember Psalm 103:10: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”
Your Mirror Moment Today
Now, look in the mirror. Literally, if you can. Look yourself in the eye and speak these words aloud:
”[Your Name], hear this truth: God does not deal with you as your sins deserve. He does not repay you according to your iniquities. If He did, where would you be? But instead, He extends mercy—not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who He is.
What will you do with this mercy? Will it move you to gratitude, worship, and extending the same mercy to others?
Bless the Lord, O my soul, who does not deal with us according to our sins!”
As we journey into Psalm 103, we’ll see even more breathtaking pictures of God’s mercy. But for now, let’s stop here. Let’s marvel at this one extraordinary truth:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, who does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. —Psalm 103:10
The Rev. David Roseberry, an ordained Anglican priest with over 40 years of pastoral experience, offers leadership services to pastors, churches, and Christian writers. He is an accomplished author whose books are available on Amazon. Rev. Roseberry is the Executive Director of LeaderWorks, where his work and resources can be found.
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