“O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
The line for the roller coaster was very long and the sun was very hot, as all the guys in Jack’s family leaned against the railing. Their goal was to reach the sheltered area, get out of the hot sun, and eventually ride “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.” But the line was going so slowly. Standing in the hot sun and listening to whining children, people were getting annoyed.
On top of that, there was a recorded voice that kept saying the same thing over and over again. “Howdy partners,” said the man in a western drawl, and he went on to talk about the ride. His announcement always ended with, “We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Jack decided he had heard that recorded message over 50 times while they inched forward to the ride. After about the 20th time, he and his dad and brother started reciting it with him, always ending with, “We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Soon all the people around them were chiming in, “on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Well, it worked. The park workers got the message and sped things up some. Jack breathed a big sigh of relief when he finally got his turn on the roller coaster!
In Psalm 136, the Lord has something very important that He wants you to learn about Him. It is so important that He repeats “for His mercy endures forever” 26 times! Why do you think this idea so important?
Mercy means that someone does not receive the punishment he deserves. You might be thinking, “But I haven’t done anything to deserve a punishment.” The Bible says that you have. In fact, all men deserve to be punished forever in hell (Romans 6:23). That is why this phrase is so important! Without God’s mercy, all people would have to spend eternity paying for their sins. But “His mercy endures forever.” That means that God not only holds back your deserved punishment in this life, but, if you have accepted His gift of eternal life, you can enjoy God’s mercy forever even though you don’t deserve one minute of it! It will last for as long as God lasts, and God never changes. “His mercy endures forever!”
God wants you to be grateful for His enduring mercy.
My Response:
ยป Have I accepted God’s saving mercy to me? If so, have I thanked Him for saving me? Is there anyone that I need to show mercy to as well?