Thank God For Mercy...Then Show It To Others

Psalm 136:1-4 -  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.  O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.  To him who alone doeth great wonders : for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

This anonymous writer tells us to give thanks for the great mercy of God that endures forever…23 times in this one Psalm. In 26 verses he lists many of the ways that Israel should be very thankful that God chose them to be his people…and gave them so much protection and love.

 

The mercy of God encompasses what we have come to know as kindness… compassion… forgiveness… understanding… grace…. faithfulness… and generosity…just to name a few possible synonyms. He has a well of the stuff that will never run dry….lasting for eternity.

 

I couldn’t help but reflect on what my own list of reasons I should be thankful for God’s great mercy.  The list would be quite long… my Psalm of praise taking the position of the longest psalm ever written. My most prominent verses would include life….a wonderful family…. and the many friends he has given me over the years to shape who I am.

 

I find myself thanking God for the reminder that I need to show his mercy and loving kindness to others. And I am not supposed to pick and choose who I show it too.  Mercy in its pure form is to be shown to everyone…including strangers….enemies…and those that are just plain hard to be around.  Jesus died on the cross for everyone…he even showed mercy as he was being tortured on that cross when he asked God to forgive the very ones that killed him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to always show mercy and love to everyone you allow to cross my path.  Forgive me for the times I have failed at this task…and help me to use your strength and power to begin today with a new passion to show mercy to everyone. Thank you for the mercy you have shown to me. Amen.