Understanding the lovingkindness of the LORD

“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.”

This is the last line from Psalm 107. This Psalm gives examples of different ways in which the LORD is kind and loving toward Adam’s race. I have written previously about expressions of God’s wrath in Nature, and that it really is no surprise, once the truth about man’s natural emnity toward God, and God’s righteous indignation about it is grasped. The only surprise about things like devastating storms and fires and such is that they don’t happen more often.

The real shocker is in this Psalm where God’s acts of kindness to His ungrateful enemies are set out by several examples. Yes, God does express His wrath, but more often, He expresses His lovingkindness in the ways that He makes things “Turn out alright.”

And yet the point of the Psalm is that God’s lovingkindness toward us, His enemies, is taken for granted. It is not recognized as a mercy and a kindness, a lovingkindness from the Sovreign God. We usually just act like it should be that way. The fact is it should never be that way. The point of the refrain in this Psalm, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for His wonderful works to the children of men!” -- is that they almost never do.

Nevertheless, God goes on thanklessly, both chastening man in His wrath, and at the same time wooing us toward repentance through His lovingkindnesses.