Thursday Psalms: God Is Merciful!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

In these first verses of this psalm, the psalmist describes different ways & situations in which the Lord is merciful, hears your prayers, delivers you from troubles and deals bountifully, generously with you.  Like a beautiful trumpet, verse five declares great truths about God:  Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

Psalm 116:1-14

¹ I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

² Because He inclined His ear to me,

     therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

³ The snares of death encompassed me;

     the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:  “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

⁵ Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

⁶ The Lord preserves the simple;

     when I was brought low, He saved me.

⁷ Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears,

         my feet from stumbling;

⁹ I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Think about times when the Lord has helped you, delivered you, healed you from sickness or suffering, and so on.  But truthfully, we often wonder if God does hear our prayers when He may not answer them in the way or time we'd like.  But in all cases, God is always merciful, loving and always does what is best for us.

Now read this psalm and think of your relationship with God through a different lens, through the lens of your sinfulness.  The snares of death is a phrase which describes our sinfulness very well.  Your sins separate you from God, and the wages of your sins is death.  Without God's mercy, your sins would separate you from God eternally; that is to be damned to hell.  

But your God is merciful!  He saved you!  He has delivered your soul from death, from eternal death in hell!  Jesus Christ, God Himself, died on the cross and rose from the dead to set you free from sin and restore your relationship with God.  Forgiven sin no longer separates you from God, because God has separated your sins from you!

Return, O my soul to your rest; for God is merciful!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday April 12, 2026

 

“Doubting Thomas”  Giovanni Serodine    1620s

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Second Sunday of Easter

April 12, 2026

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Our usual Sunday schedule starts with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  First Reading:  Acts 5:29–42

     Psalm:  Psalm 148

    Epistle:  1 Peter 1:3–9

   Gospel:  John 20:19–31

THEME FOR WORSHIP 

The Easter ham & other goodies, if not eaten, are perishing.  If not already, the beautiful Easter hymns are fading away.  Our holiday traditions may be over, but Easter Sunday is more than just tradition.  And Easter matters more than just marking the historical resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead does stuff!  Christ risen changes things, for you!  What stuff does it do and change?  In today’s Epistle reading Saint Peter proclaims many gifts God gives to you through Jesus’ resurrection, all leading up to the salvation of your soul!

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website           Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: God Raises You Up!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

In today's psalm, God calls all people & things to praise Him, from "creeping things...to kings of the earth".  Why?  All things created praise the Creator, because He commanded and they were created.

PSALM 148

¹ Praise the Lord!

        Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

² Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!

³ Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars!

⁴ Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord!

        For He commanded and they were created.

⁶ And He established them forever and ever;

        He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,

⁸ fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling His word!

⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

¹⁰ Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

¹² Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;

        His majesty is above earth and heaven.

¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints,

        for the people of Israel who are near to Him.

           Praise the Lord! 

But in the final verse we find the greatest reason for our praise, which we celebrated this past Sunday.  "He [the Lord] has raised up a horn for His people..."  In God's word, horns are emblems of power, dominion, glory, and fierceness, witnessed by the animals who use them as their chief means of attack and defense.  "Horn" is used as a metaphor for strength in Deuteronomy 33:17 and for honor in Job 16:15 & Lamentations 2:3, and are also symbols of royal dignity and power (Jeremiah 48:25 ; Zechariah 1:18 ; Daniel 8:24 ).  The expression "horn of salvation," applied to Christ, means a salvation of strength, or a strong Savior (Luke 1:69). 

So this week just after our glorious Easter celebration, join me in thanking & praising God, that He has "raised up" Jesus from death, to be our horn of  salvation!  Jesus gives to you His resurrection, so you and I will be raised up too!  God raises you up in the middle of troubles in this life, and God will raise you up after death to live forever with Him in heaven!

Live today in the joy of being Raised Up!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website       Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9