Category: Mercy

Healing, Love, Mercy

Bless the Lord, O my Soul

Inge Schultz

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.

Psalms 103:1-4

Bless the Lord, O My Soul, and do not forget all his benefits. Do not forget all his benefits! It seems fit that we should be reminded of all his benefits and in Psalms 103 David exclaims with praise on his lips the benefits of God in this Psalms. We are not to forget what good things the Lord has done for us. The benefits are then listed in verse 3 starting with forgiveness and healing for all diseases at the top of the list. We should hold onto the benefits of the Lord, and forgiveness and healing are in the atonement for each person to receive. In Matthew chapter 9, we read about the sick man of the palsy, lying on a bed, and Jesus seeing their faith told the man of the palsy, “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee, [Matthew 9:2].” Later on in chapter 9 Jesus exclaims that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins and He told the man sick of the palsy to arise take up thy bed and go to thine house. He did so as it was spoken.

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diver’s diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.”

Matthew 4:24

Jesus was famous for healing all diseases and he even gave his disciples power over all devils and to cure all diseases [ see Luke 9:1]. We know that our Lord was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed [see Isaish 53:5]. We must not forget that not only sin may be a part of sickness but oppression from the Devil can bind a person like the daughter of Abraham in Luke 13:16 whom Satan had bound for 18 years. Any kind of disease does not come from the Lord God. In verse 4, it states, who redeemed thy life from destruction, and crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Only Christ has this power to redeem our life for He is the resurrection and the life. Our life belongs to the Lord, and he keeps his promises to those who believe. He will keep our life in the resurrection and His loving-kindness and tender mercies toward us will not fail. Do you believe this? Read on to verse 12. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Wow! This is His mercy towards us, and it is everlasting.

Is he satisfying your mouth with good things? So that your youth is renewed like the eagle? Are you waiting upon the Lord? In Isaiah 40:31, it states that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” If you are feeling burned out and weary, it is time to wait upon the Lord to renew your strength. It is time to lean upon the Lord to bring you peace and to renew your soul and mind from the things of this world. It is time to commune with the Lord and ask him to bring the Holy Spirit refreshing so that you can mount up with wings like the eagle and soar. Have you ever watched an eagle soar in the sky? This last week I watched an eagle soar as it got lift under his wings and soared up higher to new heights up in the sky. This is what we should be able to do; to soar up to new heights above the oppression of the devil. We shall walk and not faint. O Bless the Lord. O my soul and all that is in me, bless His holy name.

It was midnight when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. An earthquake came suddenly that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were open, and the bands were loosed from the prisoners. The keeper of the prison awoke and saw the doors open and drew up his sword to kill himself. Paul shouted to him “do not harm yourself” we are all here [see Acts 16:28]. The keeper of the prison was saved and baptized. He washed the stripes of Paul and Silas and fed them rejoicing and believing in God. This is satisfying your mouth with good things. Rejoicing and praising God for what He has done. God bringing Paul and Silas the victory to soar to new heights. Having their wounds of strips treated and receiving food for their hunger along with gaining a new friend into the fellowship of the Lord and then being released from jail. Such wonderous acts of God. As it is exclaimed in the very next verse of 6 in Psalms 103, “the Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed.”

Paul and Silas were being oppressed because they had rebuked a spirit of divination out of a maid [see Acts 16:18]. The maid’s master saw that their hope for money was gone and accused them. Paul and Silas were beaten and put in jail. Paul and Silas were abused, ill-treated, and persecuted for freeing a woman of divination. Sometimes for no reason at all we can be abused or ill-treated at work or at home. Sometimes it grates on our being about the injustice of having to endure the aggravation. Paul was grieved by the maid’s actions and exclaimed in the name of Jesus Christ come out of her. We do not think about being mournful of those under an oppressor such as a spirit or devil, yet Jesus himself freed them from the oppression. We must remember in the last days many will be oppressed and in need of healing and relieve from being oppressed. Pray not only for yourself but those around you.

Is this not what Paul and Silas did? And the Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. Oh! Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let us remember thy loving kindness and mercy to heal our body of sickness and to execute righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. May you soar to new heights and be renewed like the eagle. He will heal all diseases and redeem your life from destruction and death. He will crown you with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Let us Bless the Lord forever and remember His benefits. May He always satisfy our mouth with good things. Share the goodness of the Lord with others and soar to new heights.

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Kindness, Mercy

Put on Mercy and Kindness

Inge Schultz

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

Colossians 3:12

Mercy and kindness are seldom seen these days. It seems it takes too much effort in trying to show kindness. That may be the reason why we now have World Kindness Day. Did you know that it is a Holiday? According to the inspirekindness.com web site it is a Holiday and there are over 28 countries that participate in observance of this day which is on November 13, 2021. Some consider this a joke, but it is no joke. I encourage you to visit the web site Inspire Kindness to read more about it. This web site states that this movement started in Tokyo, Japan in 1997. This organization encourages people to be kind to others by doing one act of kindness to benefit someone else. Sometimes a movement like this helps us to understand the how and the way of blessing others by being kind. World Kindness Day is just around the corner on November 13th, so I thought why not get a head start by thinking and pondering about it now.  Asking God for guidance in this area in showing you someone you can bless will change your life in ways you cannot imagine.

The bible exclaims that Christians should put on bowels of mercy and kindness. Putting on mercy, kindness, meekness and longsuffering is profitable because of God’s love toward us. Have we not experienced this ourselves when we realized that we needed deliverance from the evil one and from our own sins? We all needed to be rescued from ourselves also because of our own selfishness and the desire of doing evil rather than good. Putting on means to immerse our minds in awareness and who we are in Christ. If we allow the peace of God to rule our hearts, then mercy and kindness will be a part of our life because we have been delivered through the mercy of God. The Hebrew word for kindness is [Che•sed], and it takes on the meaning of grace, mercy, kindness, and charity. It is to have mercy within our own hearts and to refrain from hurting or distressing others. I pray that we have not become so busy with our own lives that we do not think twice about sharing with others or showing mercy. I pray that we do not have to begrudgingly do an act of kindness.

Have you ever asked a child to take out the garbage and the child is grumbling about having to do it? The child is reluctant in doing this task. The child is unenthusiastic about doing this chore. I know I was as a child because I had other things in my mind like playing with my favorite toy or going out to play in the yard. A child cannot conceive in his or her mind that they are being helpful to their mother by doing this kind act. They have not been taught that this is an act of kindness by helping mom out in lightening her load of all the things she is doing in making a home clean and livable. Kindness is about helping others without thinking twice about doing and showing it. We really need more of this in our communities. I remember the song “Try a little Kindness,” that Glen Campbell sung in 1969. Just look at the second verse and you will see the real meaning to the song. Do not walk around the down and out, lend that helping hand instead of hesitation or doubt.

Don’t walk around the down and out
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way

We should all lend a helping hand without hesitation in doing good every day.  Isn’t the good works that Christians do helping others to see and glorify God?

You got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see

Do you have a light to shine for everyone to see?  “Shine your light before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in heaven,” taught Jesus in Matthew 5:16. Are you a follower of Jesus? If you are then you have the light that can shine out to others. The light of love, peace, joy, gentleness, and goodness should flow out of you towards others. Kindness and mercy are what Jesus gives to all humanity. Pray and ask our Heavenly Father to put the salt of Jesus back into your life so you can shine the light and love of Jesus to others. Ask Him to restore your soul and give you strength. Ask Him to open ways of lending a helping hand by doing kindness towards others. Ask Him to help you every day to follow the good shepherd so that surely goodness and mercy can follow you every day.  This great song written by John W Peterson and Alfred Smith is based on Psalms 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  Is the Lord your Shepherd?  Did the kind Shepherd find you?  I pray that He has and is now guiding each step of your way.  This song is an affirmation of your walk with God.  Listen to this song and sing it every day.  It will bless your soul.

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Covenant, Mercy

The Mercies of the Lord

Inge Schultz

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalms 89:1

Have you sung of the mercies of the Lord?  What does it mean to sing of the mercies of the Lord?  Has God saved you from the hand of the [evil one]?  These are important questions we must answer for ourselves because it is based upon a promise that God has made generations ago through a covenant.  In Psalms chapter 89, it is all about a covenant that God made with David.  However, God’s covenant began with the children of Israel who came out of Egypt.  That covenant was carried on through David.  In fact, it is still being carried on today, for many are being grafted into the vine through Christ [see Romans 11:23].  I do not know of any covenant that has lasted this long in history, but it is amazing how our God in loving kindness and compassion provided a way through Christ for us to be grafted into the olive branch.  It is unbelief and disobedience that detaches us from the olive branch and the covenant or promises of God.

God’s faithfulness to graft people into the vine is a mystery especially for the Jewish population, but God’s promises is a sure thing and will continue to carry on for all generations.  This is something to sing and shout about.  A covenant is an agreement between two people.  That agreement carries on a commitment of honoring a pledge.  David was a man after God’s own heart because he learned about obedience and repentance.  David had a passion for God and wanted to build a house for God like his own.  David spoke to Nathan a prophet about building that house for the Lord.  The Lord told Nathan that he did not ask for a house to be built for him.  Since the time he brought Israel out of Egypt, God has walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.  God went on to say to Nathan the prophet to tell David how He has chosen David from the “sheepcote,” which means a covered enclosure for sheep to being a ruler over the people of Israel [see 2 Samuel 7:8]. 

We can have the best intentions to do something for the Lord, but it may not always be in God’s will to carry out what we have personally planned.  Such was the case with David.  God was reminding David where he came from and what his purpose was in that he was to be a ruler over the people of Israel.  It is God who appoints people to a position.  It is God who finds the place for the people to dwell.  It is God who withholds the wicked from afflicting His children and or people.  Within the family of God is mercy everlasting in that His purpose is to restore and bring healing to all generations.  You can read for yourself in 2 Samuel chapter 7 what Nathan told David in verses 4 through 17.  It is amazing that God spoke about the past and the future with David and we can also see how God had a specific plan for David’s life.

In verse 3 of Psalms 89 it states a covenant was made with David and that his seed is establish forever. God affirms His covenant with David, and David rejoices in the goodness of the Lord. If you read on in Psalms 89, you will find that God chastened those who do not follow in His will or commandments [see verses 30-32 of Psalms 89]. Despite the disobedience of His people, God still showed his loving-kindness and faithfulness [see verse 33 of Psalms 89]. Forgiveness and restoration are in God’s hand. God will never break his covenant, nor the words that were spoken from His lips. We can have the assurance through Christ that we are grafted into the precious vine that gives us life eternal. Like David we can sing of the mercies of the Lord forever because Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. 

God is able to save us from all sins, and from the evil one who is Satan.  How wonderful are the mercies of the Lord that He provided a way for everyone to be saved.  Let me tell you how great this is.  I was born out of wedlock, and I have traveled halfway around the world to learn about the salvation of the Lord.  Today, there are a lot of lost teens who are looking for their identity.  I wanted to know who I was and where I came from.  I had no ties to my real father or my mother’s family.  There are a lot of people who question their identity, and there are those who also run from their family identity.  I found out that my grandmother was of Jewish lineage through a will after she had passed away.  I never had the opportunity of meeting my grandmother.  Today, many people are finding out about who, or where they came from through DNA testing.  My DNA is split right down the middle like two sides of the coin.  One side is the Jewish lineage, and the other side is where fables and stories of paganism come from.  Our culture can influence who we are as an individual, but we make the choice to follow it or something else.  Sometimes this can be a battle that we fight with on a personal level.  In my early teen years, I ran away from home in the city of Perth.  In Kings Park in the city of Perth, I was physically assaulted.  I cried out to God, and He saved me from being seriously hurt and from being choked to death. 

God’s love and mercy saved me.  He spoke to me and told me I had to go back home.  I was totally lost and did not know where I was, but He miraculously brought me back home. I was amazed that God would talk to me in an audible voice and that He would help me to bear the verbal abuse of my mother.  I did not understand why I got the negative verbal abuse nor why my mom was angry.   We do not always know the truth behind the situation that we are in, but God knows.  After this experience, I fully trusted in God to see me through.  I did not know about God’s son Jesus Christ.  All I knew was the ten commandments that I had memorized when I was nine years old.  God had a plan for my life, a future that as a teen, I was not aware of. I had to trust God that He would work it out no matter what happened. You may find yourself in a similar situation not knowing where you are going, or what the future may hold for you. Trust God to bring you through any situation and to place you where you need to be. His love and mercy will restore you and bring healing to your heart and soul.  No matter what danger you are in, you can call upon the Lord to save you.  He will protect you and provide shelter when you need it.  In 1974 in Seattle, I learned about God’s son who died on the cross for my sins.  It is through Christ sacrifice on the cross that we can come to the Father in prayer.   I also found out that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets [see Matthew 5:17].

No matter what you are going through, you can be assured that God knows all about it.  His Love and mercy are always available to you.  It is through Christ that we can enter the throne room of grace and mercy to ask for help.  Like David, we can also sing of the mercies of the Lord.

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