Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are our good and gracious God. While we know you are good, we do not know the extent of your goodness because of our sinful nature. You daily provide for all people surrounding the globe with the food they need. But it is more than just sustaining our physical needs; you provide for our spiritual as well. Your mercy, we praise you for it, but sometimes we lose what it means that you are a merciful God. While you are a just God, our sins do not go unpunished; you punished your Son in our place. Your mercy means you took our punishment we deserve on yourself; so we do not get what we deserve; instead, we get your grace—undeserved love. This was not only when Christ came and died but forever. You are faithful to us, to all who trust in you. Your faithfulness will never end. The Holy Spirit created faith in us through your word and sacraments. There are times when we act faithlessly with our doubts and sin. However, your faithfulness continues forever; Lord, thank you for being good, merciful, and faithful even when we are not. Amen.
Roger Emmons
Because of our sin, we will never fully understand the extent of God’s goodness on this side of heaven. That goes beyond our understanding, and we must trust it through faith.