Oct-22-0539-The grace of God that abounds
539_The grace of God that abounds Psalm 106 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? 3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, 5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. 7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. 10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. 11 And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. 12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 44-48 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. 45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. 47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord! John Newton was a former slave trader who became a preacher and wrote the famous hymn Amazing Grace. As his memory began to fail him in his old age, he often forgot even parts of his own sermons. Yet he said, “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.” Those words capture the heart of the Christian faith. Sin is real—but God’s grace abounds all the more. Psalm 106 forces us to remember both sides of that truth. While laying bare the repeated unfaithfulness of God’s people - their rebellion,, their idolatry, their forgetfulness, or their disobedience - it also displays the bright thread of God’s covenant love and faithfulness. The psalm begins and ends with praise. In between comes a glimpse of breathtaking grace. While Psalm 105 celebrates God’s faithfulness—His mighty acts, His guidance, His promises kept across generations, Psalm 106 continues the story by mirroring the people’s ingratitude in return. Where Psalm 105 exalts God’s gifts and blessings, Psalm 106 exalts God’s mercy to a stubborn and ungrateful people. In this psalm, the praise is not primarily