Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your justice. (Psalm 119: 156)

The Hebrew for mercy, in this case, is racham. Other translations of the Hebrew might be compassion or love. The meaning is similar to our contemporary understanding of empathy. God understands our intent and our confusion, our strengths and our weaknesses. As a result, God loves us even when we do the unlovable.

Our life is preserved, revived, and given meaning through God's insightful judgement (mishpat). We often neglect the laws of God. But in judging us God is empathetic. God does not look only at outcomes, but also considers the context and the intent. Our life is dependent on a loving God of perfect justice.