©2008 Abe and Liza Philip
CCLI#5176522
This song is made freely available to you
personally and for use in a church setting, 
but not for commercial reproduction. 
Please report usage to CCLI. Thank you!

*lyrics from the King James Bible (public domain). 

We normally don't write from the King James Version because many of it's words and phrases are rarely used in our day.  But every word fit so perfectly and all at once to the melody we had written that we we felt the choice had been made for us!  The melody itself was written to evoke the feel of a gentle island breeze and paint a picture of the restful calm that finally comes after the storm.

It's been said before that you are either currently experiencing troubles, have trials behind you in the past, or are about to experience one in the near or far future.  We shouldn't be surprised.  Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The words of this psalm are there to give us strength before and during a trial.  And they can help us express deep thankfulness after one is finally over.  I think we'll be saying something along these lines in heaven: "Though I thought I would fall so many times, Your mercy held me up.  Where would I be now, O Lord, unless You had held me up?"  

Remember this: The day will never come when you will be able to truthfully say, "Lord, You have not been faithful to me."  Instead looking back on all our days we will remember His mercy and comfort that this psalm talks about and cry out with grateful heart, "Great is Your faithfulness!"

My (Abe's) mother's first name is also "Mercy."  So this song has an extra special meaning for me.  Not everyone is blessed with a godly mother and I truly have no idea where I'd be if it had not been for her patience, love and faithful instruction in the way of Christ. "Her children rise up and call her blessed." (Proverbs 31:28).  So when I hear the phrase the "mercy of God" I often also think of her.  I love you, Mom!