Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. There's probably no other word
used in all of the scriptures that so clearly defines the relationship
and favor of the Lord to his people than the term loving kindness. God has revealed himself as merciful.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger
and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all and his
tender mercies are over all his works. Mercy is a kindness bestowed
without obligation. Therefore, any kindness which
the Lord is pleased to show to any of His creation is indeed
a mercy, whether it is the breath we breathe, the food we eat,
or the bestowal of His favor. No one can demand of God anything,
nor have any reason to expect that he can compel God to show
kindness. It is sheer folly for men to
consider that because God has declared himself to be full of
mercy that he is somehow obligated to show mercy to them. It is
clear from the scriptures that he reserves the right to dispense
mercy according to his sovereign pleasure. Therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. Mercy
would not be mercy if God could somehow be obligated to show
it. It is therefore appropriate as to define His kindness as
sovereign mercy, bestowed when and upon whom He is pleased to
confer it. The Lord has made clear that He has chosen a people
upon whom He is pleased to show a special kind of mercy, which
is shared by them alone. This is that mercy which is defined
as loving kindness. Though all loving kindness is
born out of mercy, not all mercy is loving kindness. Awake, my
soul, in joyful lays, And sing thy great Redeemer's praise!
He justly claims a song from me, His lovingkindness, oh, how
free! He saw me ruined in the fall,
Yet loved me notwithstanding all. He saved me from my lost
estate, His lovingkindness, oh, how great! Though numerous hosts
of mighty foes, Though earth and hell my way oppose, He safely
leads my soul along, His lovingkindness, oh, how strong! When trouble,
like a gloomy cloud, Has gathered thick and thundered loud, He
near my soul has always stood, His lovingkindness, oh, how good! Often I feel my sinful heart
Prone from my Savior to depart, But though I have Him all forgot,
His lovingkindness changes not. Then let me mount and soar away
to the bright world of endless day, and sing with rapture and
surprise His lovingkindness in the skies. The lovingkindness
of the Lord to His elect people is primarily associated with
three characteristics—love, strength, and steadfastness. Love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son
into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Strength. The Lord is my strength and song,
and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare
Him a habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt Him. The
Lord is a man of war. The Lord is His name. Who is
this that cometh from Edom with thy garments from Basra, this
that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of
his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
And then finally, lovingkindness is associated with steadfastness.
wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil. whether the forerunner is for
us entered even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. But thou, Israel, art my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou
whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee
from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant,
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for
I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Have
you known the lovingkindness of the Lord? If you would like
a free transcript of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.