One of our greatest hymns, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven,” was written by a British vicar named Henry Lyte. You’ll find great encouragement from a phrase about God in the second stanza having to do with God’s grace and favor. Lyte said our Lord is “slow to chide and swift to bless.” We need a God like that because we’re so prone to sinfulness and mistaken actions.

Take Sarah (Sarai), for example. She was impatient for God’s promise to be fulfilled, so she devised a plan that involved Hagar, her maid, to have a child with Abraham in her place. We, too, get impatient and do things God doesn’t want us to do. But the Lord forgave Sarah, and in the end, He still used her to fulfill His promise.

When we make mistakes, the Lord is merciful, and that’s why we can sing, “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven.” Praise Him today for the daily mercy He imparts to us.

Praise him for his grace and favor to his people in distress. Praise him, still the same as ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Henry Lyte