December 26 – Hope In Faithfulness

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:21-25 (ESV)

At Christmas time we might hear and say much about “peace” and “joy” and experience great happiness.  But not always. Not for everyone. Christmas time can also be a very difficult time for many. Who we celebrate and what we remember at Christmas is the birth of Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and lived there for maybe two years or more. The birth of Jesus, who is the Christ (Messiah) was the fulfillment of prophecies given by God to prophets, whose stories are written in the books of the Old Testament. Jeremiah was one of those prophets. Today’s verse, found right in the middle of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. He states clearly his reason for hope in the middle of his sorrow over the destruction, captivity, and exile of Judah. He calls to mind the lovingkindness, the mercies, the faithfulness of God.  He declares that God is enough – his portion – and the reason for Jeremiah’s hope. Then the promise for us, that the LORD, is good to those who wait and seek him. Today, whatever our circumstances or memories, let’s seek Him while we wait and find in His word His goodness. It will give us hope also.  

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August 24 – Ultimate Healing

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, - 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NASB)

It's pretty much a sure thing that we all need healing in our lives.  It may be for an illness or a wound.  Perhaps our wound is within.  A loss of a family or friend too soon, cuts deep into our emotions.  We need healing of our spirit and we need grace to manage the emotional crash that is a part of such news.  It happened just yesterday perhaps. Do we, cry out to Jesus?  Jesus can heal in any way we need.  We will receive healing ultimately if we are children of God the Father.  Remember Lazarus?*  Jesus knew Lazarus was ill unto death.  But Jesus did not rush to heal him before Lazarus died.  Jesus knew that he was going to restore Lazarus’ life at the right moment.  When Jesus finally arrived Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus, both said it was too late. They both greeted Jesus with, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, 32) God compassion is total.  Jesus’ comfort is for all who seek it. It’s a promise that ultimately, we all received perfect healing from God. Today, praise Jesus for that whatever it is.  

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*Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus lived in Benethy outside of Jerusalem.  With him were Mary and Martha two sisters and servants of Jesus during his ministry on earth.  The death of Lazarus is where John records the words "Jesus wept." Jesus was not untouched by the death of Lazarus. (John 11) 

August 1 – Love Never Ceasing

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Our verse for today comes out of the Book of Lamentations. As the book's name implies, it is filled with words written at a very difficult time in the life of Jeremiah the prophet and for the city of Jerusalem. We believe though that what he wrote is true for our lives because he was writing about God and God is the same today as He was then. God's love and His feeling of compassion for us are great and they do not fail. We're thinking especially today of the truth that God's compassions are new every morning. We trust that you were aware yesterday of God's compassion and love for you and are aware of them again today. Our verse says they are new every morning. God renews His love for you today and He'll do that again tomorrow and it will never fail or come to an end. 

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April 2 –Mercies Every Morning

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)

The book of Lamentations is also referred to as the Book of Tears.  The Prophet Jeremiah is accepted as the author of this book.  Jeremiah was a Prophet who proclaimed the Word of God to the people.  He saw first-hand the destruction of the Jerusalem’s walls and the Temple.  Given many warnings, which the people ignored, God’s promised judgment comes.  Now the people are gone. Carried off to Babylon except for a few.  Jeremiah was one left.   This book is written recording the process of grieving over what God had done to His own people and city.  In the very middle of the book, God gives Jeremiah this assurance.  Our promise is clear. God’s love never stops.  God’s mercies never quit. New mercies come every morning.  God’s faithfulness is great.  God “mercies” is a comprehensive term that encompasses love, grace, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, truth, compassion and faithfulness.  Jeremiah recalled all this in the middle of recounting all the sorrow and tears for the city.  He recalled these truths as we can and they gave him hope as they can give us hope.  God’s mercies are for us, his steadfast love is also for us. God gives us all we need.

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February 22 - Whole and Holy Sacrifice

“I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”  - Romans 12:1 (NASB)

The Apostle Paul is urgently telling all who believe in Jesus that God desires us to be a whole sacrifice.  Not just part of ourselves. But our whole being, holding nothing back.  This presentation is to be a living sacrifice.  It is to be a holy sacrifice.  It is to be acceptable to God.  And it will be all that because God is merciful to us.  We really have nothing God needs to accomplish his will.  His desire as revealed in our verse is for us to know that His abundant mercies are for us, and are only available through our service to God.  As the One who has given us new life He requires us to do this. Before our salvation we were dead and could not offer our bodies as living or holy and nothing we did would be acceptable to God.  As regenerated and made new creatures spiritually, we belong to him.  This is our spiritual service and it is a spiritual worship when we obediently present ourselves in this way.  It brings glory to God for it is He who has shown us mercy and given us the life we have in Christ Jesus. 

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March 21 – Freely Given, Freely Provide

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”   2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)

Our verses and the promises we find in them today help us remember how our faith in God works to help us live with people around us.  We read that we can praise God our Father and honor our Lord Jesus because He is the God of all comfort.  His promise is to comfort us in all our difficulties and in all the times when we are afflicted with any number of circumstances.  When we are troubled, God comforts us and helps us through them.  God does this for us also to help us know and understand how to help others.  We pass the comfort on to those who need it in their lives.  Often we encounter those who are suffering the same kind of circumstances we've gone through, and knowing how God comforted us with the assurance of His presence and love, we are are able to give that presence and love to them.  Because we have received comfort from God, we can give the comfort of God to others.  That is why our God receives blessing as the Father of mercies and God of ALL comfort. 

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