The opening words of Psalm 107 have been a favourite worship song for generations: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. The psalmist gives his reason for boasting of God’s enduring love; he brings out stories from Israel’s past.
There were cycles of disobedience, followed by distress, cries for God’s help, and his merciful rescue. The singer climaxes each story with a call for the undeserving Israel to celebrate God’s love: Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love (8, 15, 21, 31).
But he adds this extra bit to each refrain: and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 
His point: God loves undeserving Israel and has the same love for undeserving mankind.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
The call was for Israel’s worship to go beyond their own experience of God’s blessings. It was to overflow into an AND for mankind celebration. In thanking their Rescuer, they were to include praise for his unfailing love to ALL men.
He repeatedly rescued ancient Israel because he loved them, and wanted to show his love for humanity through them.
God’s blessing of Israel for the sake of mankind climaxed in his New Covenant gospel to all nations through Abraham’s seed, Jesus Christ (Gal 3:14, 16). And so, the singer’s refrain has become OUR song. WE give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love…..!
The psalmist’s call to Israel comes to all who have been touched by God’s love. Our praise song is to overflow into an AND for mankind celebration; his unfailing love towards us extends to all, in every nation and people group.
Nations come into our living space daily. We watch live news-feeds of floods, fires or earthquakes devastating communities. We’re alerted to the latest political chaos, civil unrest, and conflict around the world. Images of suffering and injustice appear regularly on our screens.
The exposure should trigger prayer (Neh. 1:3-11). But crises alone shouldn’t define our praying. The Good News is the most compelling reason to pray for nations, whether or not they are currently marked by headline tragedy. Praying the truth of Christ’s unfailing love for all is an announcement of hope and a future for any nation.
Praise for his love flows easily from those who’ve experienced it. Yet, our celebration often ends without going beyond ourselves.
We will worship the Lamb forever – for what his love has done for us, and beyond us (Rev 5:9). So, we shouldn’t leave out the AND for mankind celebration now. In both inner and upper room praying, we keep declaring his great love for humanity even as he has loved us!
- Reflect on the greatness of the Lord’s love for you. Use scripture to shape your thoughts as you meditate on his undeserved love (e.g. Rom 5:8, Eph 2:4-5).
- Praise him for being the Lord God of unfailing love. Thank him for his sacrificial love at the Cross, for loving you before you were aware of him or able to respond to his love. Celebrate the difference his love has made in your life.
- Add the and for mankind celebration to your praying. As you worship his unfailing love, shift your focus to a particular nation or community. Exalt the Lord for loving them as he has loved you. In prayer, declare the great love of Christ, the Rescuer, for them as an announcement of hope and a future for that nation or community.
- Ask the Father to deepen your awareness of his undeserved love, and so to enlarge your and for mankind praying.
