Purely out of Fatherly, Divine Goodness and Mercy.

"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them 

that fear Him." Ps. 103:13.

God manifested His love in the creation of the world. Many 

are the blessings which He showered upon us according to the First 

Article of our holy Christian Creed. God has made us and all 

creatures. He has given us a rational soul and made us the fore

most of all visible creatures. For us He created heaven and earth 

and all that is therein. The whole world was made for man. Sun, 

moon, and stars give light to our earth, which is the center of the 

universe. The life of all creatures is in reality only subservient to 

our welfare. Even the angels in heaven are our servants. God 

sustains the earth and all that is therein; but He mainly provides 

for man, who is a sinner and therefore does not deserve any love or 

kindness on the part of his Creator, and — oh, fatherly, divine good

ness and mercy! — defends us against all danger and guards and 

protects us from all evil. He has made us His dear children in 

Christ Jesus and opens for us the way to eternal life for our 

Savior’s sake, who has redeemed us with His precious blood. The 

holy and almighty God stoops down to us poor sinners and becomes 

our good and merciful Father.

What may have induced God to do all this? Does He derive 

any benefit from us ? Could He not dwell in glory and in perfect 

happiness without us? What impelled Him to call us into exist

ence and to overwhelm us with His tender mercies ? Any merit or 

worthiness in us? N o; God owes us nothing. All His blessings 

He showers upon us purely out of His fatherly, divine goodness and 

mercy, and we must confess with Jacob that we are not worthy of 

the least of all the mercies with which He has blessed us so abund

antly. This is the sentiment of every true Christian. Hence he 

sings his Maker’s praise. “ O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is 

good; because His mercy endureth forever.”

Prayer.

O Lord, how great is Thy goodness towards us, who are not 

worthy of even the least of Thy manifold blessings! And how 

wonderfully infinite Thine omnipotence is in greatly multiplying 

the seed that decays in the soil! O Lord, Thou God of riches, all 

that men harvest is indeed Thine, for we cannot of ourselves cause

anything to spring forth out of the earth; so if we get much or

little, it is nevertheless more than we deserve. Thanks, therefore,

bo to Thy holy name for each and every thing that Thou hast

given us! Thou alone art the God that didst sustain us from

early infancy and dost bestow on us all manner of blessings.

To Thee alone be all praise and honor. Amen.