Psalm 136

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1, NKJV)

I’ve heard it said that justice is getting what you deserve, but mercy is not getting what you deserve. One prayer you will never hear me pray is, “God, give me justice.” I don’t want God’s justice toward me; I want His mercy. Fortunately for all of us, God delights in mercy (Micah 7:18).

The LORD’s record with Israel was one of continual mercy. From the time He delivered them out of Egypt they were testing Him. And yet even when they sinned, He was merciful toward them. He didn’t give them what they deserved; He was patient with them.

Psalm 136 recalls the many miraculous deeds of the LORD. Each one is followed with the response, “For His mercy endures forever.” Probably the priest or worship leader sang the first line, and then the congregation responded, “For His mercy endures forever.” Each time they said this, they were reminded of how merciful God was and how He had given them blessings they did not deserve.

Today’s challenge is to write down three things God has done for you for which you are grateful. Personalize it as a prayer of thanksgiving, followed by the refrain, “For your mercy endures forever.”

For example: “You gave me a loving wife who has stood by my side, for your mercy endures forever.”

Honestly, there are many blessings that I enjoy that I easily take for granted. They have come from a merciful and loving God, but I have not always remembered to give Him thanks. The devil wants us to focus on whatever is wrong and whatever troubles us. But we resist him when we give thanks to God for His manifold mercies.