His Merciful Kindness

“Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” Psalm 117:1-2

Every once in a while, we are the recipients of God’s special blessings. He does, of course, daily bless us all with general blessings, for which we are so prone to forget to be thankful. The air in our lungs, a beating heart, a thinking mind, skin that feels a touch—and beyond that, a place to live, provision for our daily lives, and loved ones to be with.

But then, at times, He gives the unexpected, nearly unbelievable, deeply moving blessings. For me, this came in the form of great kindness extended to me in ways I did not know to ask Him for. I didn’t anticipate needing the help I would need, yet He did anticipate it. He not only knew, but He had it all lined up for me, seemingly waiting for me to walk into that exact moment in time.

I have some difficulties with walking any more than very short distances, and when I arrived at a place that would require considerable walking to get where I needed to go, a wheelchair was brought without my asking. Not only that, but in the confusion of where I should go and which direction to head, the person handling my wheelchair knew everything about the place and was able to get me to each stop without any trouble whatsoever. I went through “special” lines without waiting even a minute to get things done. I saw the people standing in long lines, Disneyland-style where there are ropes leading you up this lane and down that lane, and I did not have to stand in any of them.

I felt like I “should” be in those lines. Under normal conditions, I would have gladly taken my place and waited with everyone else. But God knew these were not normal conditions for me. He foresaw my need, and perhaps one could argue He even created my need, so that I would depend upon Him and receive the blessings of that kindness.

God is always merciful. He foresees our need for the kindness of His mercy at all times. He doesn’t always give it in the way we want, but it is always in the way we need. His extended hand is not limited by our understanding, but at times we may not receive what He gives as a gift because what He gives is not exactly what we thought we needed.

I thought I needed His strength to get through a difficult situation, but He provided above and beyond what I could ask or think.

God, be praised! For You are high above the earth, able to meet us in our desperation with exactly what we need. Thank You for the merciful kindness You show us day by day. Amen.