Scripture: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
Examination: Jeremiah writes of the anguish in his soul. Because of all the troubles he is facing, he feels abandoned and without hope until he begins to think about the goodness of God. Although his suffering is not alleviated, he remembers that it is God who promises deliverance from his enemies and his tribulations, and he recognizes that the Lord will be faithful now as He always has been; He never gives up on those He calls His own.
Application: Raising two teenagers was quite challenging for me. As the first of my friends who married and had children, I was embarking alone on a new adventure with zero guidance. I definitely had unexpected obstacles to overcome, but I never gave up… although there were times when I felt I was failing miserably as a mother. In hindsight, I know it was the Lord who brought us all successfully through those years.
In every season of my life, there have been time when my world was tumultuous and seemed to spiral out of control, but as a child of God, that really is never the case. While I may choose paths to follow that are not completely aligned with the Lord’s will, He never abandons me. He is always quietly helping me, even when I think things are beyond help. The truth is that once I was saved, the Spirit of God indwelt me 24/7, and He has always brought me successfully through every seemingly hopeless situation. I know that I will never be separated from my Saviour, and He will never give up on me!
Philippians 1:6 tells us of God’s promise, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”. This simple statement speaks volumes. It tells me that once I am saved (the good work that He began in me started at that moment), God began working on my life, making me more like Jesus every day, and He won’t be finished until that moment He takes me to my heavenly home. Even when I am unyielding to Him (which unfortunately occurs more times that I’d like to admit), He never gets tired of chiseling away the unwanted parts of me in order for His righteousness to be seen in me by the world. Isaiah 40:28 states, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”
God’s love never expires. He continually loves His children, doing His work in each of us to accomplish His perfect will in our lives. One day, His work in us will be finished. We will be exactly what He has always desired for us to be, a reflection of His precious Son. That’s the result of His persistent love!
Memory Verse: “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” – Isaiah 46:4
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
(from “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas O. Chisholm)