Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; they were quenched like a fire of thorns; for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” We are starting 2024, a year in which many countries will hold elections for national leaders. During the holidays, there’s already been a lot of political rhetoric that has served mostly to embarrass the potential candidates. The longer this process goes on and the more verbiage we endure, the more cynical become. In the midst of shifting values, God remains good and His mercy and love continue to endure forever.
“I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.” Move into leadership and you automatically find yourself with a large target on your back. There will be no end of critics ready to tear you down in any manner possible. To be effective, you must be sure that the Lord is on your side, but remember Abraham Lincoln, who said, “Sir, I am not so concerned as to whether or not the Lord is on our side, but I am quite concerned that we are on the Lord’s side.” If you want God’s help, make sure you are behaving in a godly fashion.
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.” Even when we rely on good people, they can still fail us because people have severe limitations, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Just look at the arguments political candidates are already bringing forth; do you really want to trust yourself to any of these people? Even if you find a leader whom you think you can trust, that leader can fall sick, suffer an accident, and die suddenly. If you have emotionally invested everything in one person, what happens the day he/she dies?
“The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.” None of us is perfect, and sometimes God must discipline us; however, God forgives us when we repent and takes us into new opportunities to serve Him.
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” God views events and people quite differently than we do. We see someone struggling and think they are failures; meanwhile, God sees someone who is about to succeed. Far better for us to trust God than to trust ourselves.
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” God is the Light-giver. John 1:4-5 tells us, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” God has given us life and light; however, we must dedicate ourselves to His service and not change our minds. Binding the sacrifice to the horns of the altar insures that the sacrifice won’t be removed if someone changes his/her mind.
“You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” This verse is self-explanatory. God is the One most deserving of our praise, for His goodness and mercy and love are everlasting.
APPLICATION: As I am writing this, my husband has been watching a series of American college football games played among the top teams in the country. The supporters of these teams go all out, painting their faces and other parts of their bodies, wearing special team shirts and hats, and waving banners and signs. But the teams these people are supporting will change personnel and even coaches in a few years; meanwhile, God never changes. Will we praise God as enthusiastically as we do our favorite athletic team?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to praise You and worship You as enthusiastically as we do our favorite teams. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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