Psalm 136
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever -
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever...
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.
(verses 1-9, 12, 26)
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I love that the KJV uses "mercy"...some of the modern translations have changed it to "unfailing love" which is not, in my opinion, the same thing. Unfailing love has a squishiness to it. It is like the mother of the condemned murderer saying "He was always such a good boy." Unfailing love ignores the wrongs. Mercy takes into account the wrongs. Unfailing love can be passive; mercy is always active.
ReplyDeleteI have a 91-year-old friend who says grace is getting something you don't deserve, and mercy is not getting something you do deserve.
I think you touched a nerve.
Good point. I think maybe mercy is unfailing love, plus unfailing wisdom. But I love your definition of each.
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