Thursday, March 18, 2021

Verse of the Day 3/18

Verse of the Day 3/18

Lamentations 3:22-23   Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.    New King James Version (NKJV)

I received my first COVID 19 vaccination the other day and other than some pain and a heavy feeling in the arm I have had no side effects.  I did wake up about 3 am the following morning and had a hard time falling back to sleep.  I was not worrying about anything but my mind went back to some verses and hymns that went along with them.  One of the first verses that came to mind were the ones above and the song that goes along with it "Great is Thy Faithfulness".  You've probably heard of the song "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and that is what that time felt like.  Time praying, being thankful, dwelling on God's Word and singing songs of praise in my mind and heart.  His mercies are new every morning, even, perhaps even "especially" at 3 am in the morning.

I haven't done this before, but I would like to do would be to go over this hymn, spend some time in it over several days and relate the verses from scripture that come to mind and go along with it.  The hymn holds a special place for me in my heart and it relates to the years that I served in a jail ministry years ago back in Illinois.   We went into the county jail one Sunday night per month and held services.  I led the music, singing a few hymns recorded on a cassette player.  I had probably 5 or 6 hymns recorded but I believe that we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness every month.

One of the things that I was thankful for was those men that I served with.  They are still serving God where they are and I spent some time praying for them and for God's grace and peace to be upon them.  I'm also praying for the men that we served, one day we may meet again in heaven and hear what God had done for them, showing His faithfulness to them.

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 hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Reading through the hymn, did any verses come to mind?  Lord willing, over the next several days we'll see how our lists compare.  In the meantime, may we realize His faithfulness and mercies every morning.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Lamentations 3:19-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Remember my affliction and roaming,
The wormwood and the [a]gall.
20 My soul still remembers
And [b]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

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