"Goodness of Mercy"

Scripture:

Psalm 118:1

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! Because His mercy endures forever. (NKJV)

Observation:

The Author of Life deserves every ounce of thanks and praise that we can muster, because without Him who gives us all good things (James 1:17) there would be no hope for any good things. Goodness is His essence and nature; it is who He is.

Application:

He is always to be praised, my friends, whether we are receiving anything from Him or not. If you are the kind of person who can only bring yourself to praise God in the good times you must rise to a higher note and sing songs of thanks and praise to Him no matter what your circumstances may be, because He alone is good (Matthew 19:17). We must never tolerate a moment’s unbelief as to the Lord’s goodness. Many things about this life can certainly be in question, but there remains this one absolute truth that should never be in question: Jehovah is good! His dispensations may vary, but His nature remains good. It is because of His absolute goodness that His mercies are eternal. His never ending mercies should be of the greatest importance for every human being, because without them we would be destined to death and destruction (Titus 3:5); for we are by nature—sinners. Since all of humanity is deeply guilty, yet graciously forgiven, we should remain focused on His divine mercy as the utter most center of His perfect goodness, for the greatest of earthly joys soon pass away, but not so with God’s mercy. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the incarnation of the mercy of God, calls us to remember His goodness with thanksgiving, for His mercy and forgiveness are complete; they have no end! Oh, that we should praise His glorious Name.

Prayer:

How grateful I am, LORD God, that your mercy and forgiveness is complete and forever. I realize that no matter how hard I try I will always fall short of Your standard. Thank You for the Hope You have given this fallen world, for without it we would surely live in a hopeless state. Help us, dear Lord; to understand who You are and what a perfect gift it is that You have so graciously given to those who live in You.

Amen

"Renewed"

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurable great glory that will last forever! (NLT)

Observation:

When we turn our lives over to the care and control of the LORD our God there are two things going on in unison that are important to understand. On the one hand, our imperfect bodies continually grow older, wearing out and will eventually come to an end. And while this natural process is taking place the stresses and troubles that come with living in this fallen world will often speed up this decaying process. Most people who still have their youth don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the ageing process. But as our bodies begin to break down, ageing becomes reality, and the final outcome gets closer with each passing day. On the other hand, while all this decaying is going on, as Christians we are continually drawing closer to the Lord, experiencing the renewing of our spirits; the heart and soul of our new lives in Christ Jesus.

Application:

As Christians living in a fallen world we are oppressed (in some degree) on all sides (1 John 5:19); some physically, some emotionally, and some both. If you confess that you are a friend of God, you will automatically become an enemy of the world and its ways (James 4:4). Most people with a somewhat sound mind who are not living a new life in the Savior, Christ Jesus, are living a life of denying the realities of time and eternity, and of heaven and hell. Most adults will testify that this life is not only very short, but awfully difficult as well; whereas eternity is a very long time, especially an eternity spent in difficulties one cannot imagine. The sufferings we experience living this life in Jesus Christ is peanuts when compared to the glory we will experience with Jesus for eternity. But for those who choose the world as their Savior; the price they pay for such a short period of time will cost them incredibly more suffering than all the people put together who have ever lived in this life. As a believer in Christ you will never lose enough heart to give up, because the best hope anyone can have in this life of decay and death lies in the truth of the Resurrection (1 Peter 1:3).

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord God, for the life in You that has no end. In this cruel and heartless world that is difficult to survive in, the new life You offer gives us peace in all circumstances. Help us, dear Lord, stand strong in Your Truth and give us Your strength to overcome this world until we can share in the glory of Your inheritance.

Amen

"Breaking Free"

Scripture:

Psalm 107:13-14 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. (NKJV)

Observation:

God’s people are still doing as they did way back in biblical times—that is; looking only to God as a last resort.

Application:

Many of us attempt to pray (out of obligation) when things are going well. Yet the only true cry for help comes when we can no longer depend on the world for answers; when we are in utter helplessness and misery. But the Lord, in all His mercy and grace, still takes pity on us when we cry out to Him (Psalm 34:17). He will come to our rescue when we fall on our faces in complete desperation and without hope. The God who saved millions of Israelites by parting the Red Sea is not hindered by anything. Only the Lord can rescue us from the prison of sin that can hold us captive in the deepest and darkest cell of our souls where we live in misery longing to be freed. Only He can unlock those cell doors which keep us captive. Only our Redeemer can offer us the sweet fresh air again. He removes those iron chains from our aching limbs and leads us into the Light where we can live on in peace knowing that the Judge Himself has acquitted us and His deliverances are complete (Colossians 2:14-15). And He will never again leave that soul in darkness nor will He ever allow the powers of sin to again enslave the liberated captive (Deuteronomy 31:6). What He does, my friends, is done forever! Glory to His name.

Prayer:

What a comfort and peace You have given me, LORD God, knowing that you hear my every cry. Help me never forget all that you have done for Your people, even though we don’t always look to You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that never seems to end. And thank You, dear God, for breaking me free from the bondage that held me captive for so many years. And thank You for helping me remain free by nailing all my sins upon the Cross.

Amen

"Soul Shepherd"

Scripture:

Psalm 100:3

Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (NLT)

Observation:

When I think of Jesus (the LORD of the universe) as our Shepherd, I think of how busy we must keep Him in comparison to a shepherd of a flock of sheep. Unlike real sheep that gather around their shepherd, relying on him for their every need by staying close to the one who protects and takes care of them with only a few straying from the fold; we, on the other hand, are a rebellious species by nature, always running away thinking we can survive on our own—thinking we are self-made. But our Lord God is the Perfect Shepherd—the only One who completely knows all that we need (John 10:27-30). He is the only Shepherd who never slumbers (Psalm 121:3) and the only One who never ceases in the search for those gone astray.

Application:

I am now beginning to understand how God has been working in my life since the day I was born; protecting me and choosing certain people who would help shape my character in ways that would one day draw me into His fold, healing my many wounds from enemies who are but wolves in shepherds clothing. It is an honor, my friends, that we have been chosen from all the world to be His people, the sheep of His pasture. It is a glorious blessing indeed to be guided by His wisdom, tended to by His mercy and grace, and fed by the abundance of His bounty. Glory be to the Living God, the Shepherd of our lives and the Shepherd of our souls! (1 Peter 2:25)

Prayer:

Thank You, O LORD, for drawing me into Your flock where You healed my wounds and feed me the Bread of Life. You are truly the Good Shepherd and I am forever grateful for Your protection and direction. For You have pulled me out of the muck I was stuck in, then washed me clean and gave me new life. There is no better Shepherd; no, not one!

Amen

"A Pure Love"

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:3-7, 8

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever. (NLT)

Observation:

Love is everything our sinful human natures are not. Our mouths may speak of love and our minds may know of love, but our wicked and deceitful hearts are anything but love. God has commanded us to love (Matthew 22:37-40), but it is not something that comes easy for any human being, especially for those who have been betrayed by love or those who have never experienced what it is to be loved. We cannot comprehend any kind of true love if we, ourselves, have never been in touch with it.

Application:

This fallen world teaches us many different definitions of what love is, but its view of love only aims at satisfying our own selfish and lustful desires; not the true desires that God has put into every human heart. We all have our own views on what love should look like in our lives, but it is only when we grow to know the heart of God that we will really begin to understand what love is all about. Love is not about us, my friends; it is all about our Creator, for God is love (1 John 4:8)! Our lives were created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7) and when we sincerely have the desire to please the One with whom we were created for; He will open the eyes of our hearts to His truth about love and how it should be acted upon. When you know who God is and what He has done, it is rather easy to fall in love with Him. But it is a whole different ball game when it comes to loving yourself and other sin filled people. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can see ourselves as God sees us and grow to love others as the Lord would have us love; even those who have hurt us and also those who hate us. No one will ever be able to perfect the art of loving the way God does, but we can begin the journey of loving others one person at a time and eventually we will (one day soon) fully experience the perfect love of God in all its Glory!

Prayer:

Dear LORD, help me discern what love is and what love is not. Help me gain the wisdom that will help me grow in my love for others. It is never easy to love those who don’t have our best interest in mind, but I know that with Your leading I will find the way to love as You have called me to love.

Amen

“For the Love of God”

Scripture:

Psalm 91:14-15

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. (NASB)

Observation:

Even though the LORD our God commands us to love Him with all of our being (Matthew 22:37-38), He does not force us to obey any of His commands (although He could if He wanted to, because He is, after all, the Creator). We are not borne to automatically fall in love with Him; it is only by learning who He is and who we are not, and what He can do and what we cannot do that we come to love, honor, and trust Him with our lives.

Application:

One of the most incredible things I have discovered about the love of God is; whether we love Him or not He will always love us (John 3:16). The LORD our God does not love us any more or any less because of our sin filled natures. Even when our love is unfaithful to Him, His love always remains faithful to us. What we do or do not do has no bearing on God’s love for us, because His love is unchangeable. God’s love is not conditional; it does not depend upon our actions or feelings. Although we can make Him unhappy or angry, His love does not falter. When we please Him, we bring Him joy, but His love does not increase. He loves you, my friends, just as much as He did when He first brought you into this life and He will continue to love you forever (Romans 8:38-39)! But amazingly, when you truly love the LORD as you should, He will bless your life. He will give you the strength and wisdom to battle the lies of the Enemy and this fallen world, for the Devil wants you to believe that God does not really love you and that no matter what you do, you are toast. But the truth is; our God and Creator, Christ Jesus, loves us above all creation and He rewards all those who call on Him and surrender their lives to His control and care. This is the Promise that never changes no matter how far away we have strayed from the Truth, for God knows we are only human and we will always fail to please Him. And the most amazing thing about this Promise of Jesus’ is that it happens to be the only Promise out there that not only comes with both a heavenly and earthly peace and joy, but is also the only Promise that is for everyone who walks the face of this earth!

Prayer:

Thank You, dear LORD, for loving me even when I disobey and dishonor You. I do not want to do these things and it is only in You that I am able to control myself. I cannot fully understand the depth of Your love, but I am so very grateful that You are who You say You are. For without Your love this deeply fallen world would indeed be a more difficult place to live.

Amen