#DailyDevotion Thank The LORD For His Goodness & Mercy
Psalm 107 “Thank the LORD because He is good and merciful forever!” 2 That’s what those should say whom the LORD rescued from the enemy 3and gathered from other countries, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
An invitation to thank the LORD because He is good and merciful forever. This Psalm is directed at the Jews who have been released from captivity in Babylon. It is also an invitation to the Jews who were scattered to different countries during the time of exile. We know some went with Jeremiah down to Egypt. Who knows where others may have scattered to. But that Judah is not being reestablished and Jerusalem’s walls and Temple were being rebuilt showed the goodness and mercy of the LORD. Since they could return to their homeland is enough reason to thank the LORD because He is good and merciful forever.
We too should thank the LORD because He has been good and merciful to us. He has delivered us from sin and death by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has brought us this saving message and given us the faith necessary to believe it and to receive it. He has given us the sacraments and the word so we may ever be strengthened in this salvation. When we have fallen, He has called us back to this salvation with promises of forgiveness.
4Men wandered around on a desert road in the wilderness without finding a town to live in. 5Hungry and thirsty, they were desperate. 6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress. 7He led them in the right way to go to a town to live in. 8Let them thank the LORD for His goodness, for doing wonderful things for men. 9When they were thirsty, He gave them plenty to drink; when they were hungry, He filled them with good things.
No matter what country the Jews were coming back to Judah from, they traveled through the wilderness. At times they grew hungry, thirsty and at times they were desperate. They cried out to the LORD and He rescued them. While we don’t have records of the travels back to Judah, I guess this Psalm is a record of that. He led them on their way back to the cities and towns of Judah. They are called to thank the LORD who provided for them on their travels back to the Promised Land. He showed His goodness and mercy to them by providing them with food and drink, filling them with good things.
Has the LORD provided you with food and drink? Has He filled you with good things? Certainly He has given us daily bread. When you called to Him for help, did He not answer? Oftentimes He does and has answered but we went right back to the thing that has caused us trouble in the first place. The alcoholic who asks for help and is helped but then spurns the help and returns to his god of alcohol. The same goes for the person who is addicted to drugs, sex, food, work etc.. We ask for help. It is given. Then we spurn the help and blame God for not helping us.
Believe the help the LORD has given and live in it. He has poured out His grace and mercy upon you. He has given you what you need to succeed and overcome these things. Don’t look back to your old gods when times get tough. God has not abandoned you in Christ Jesus. Continually look to your Father in heaven for all good things. He will provide them at the proper time.
Through the Church the LORD Jesus Christ is leading you through the towns, cities, countries you are passing through to the Promised Land. Jesus said He has gone before us to prepare a place for us. During this journey He is leading us and doing wonderful things for us. He is filling us with good things. We should thank Him for all His goodness and mercy.
Heavenly Father, you have delivered us from our enemies of sin and death by the resurrection Your Son, Jesus Christ. You have shown us goodness and mercy, filling us with all good things on our journey. For this, we give You thanks and praise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.