Verse of the Day 12/3

Through the Bible - Daniel 3-4, 1 John 5

 

Good morning,

There is a lot of talk these days about "sustainability" and the renewal of resources.  Yesterday we considered God's perfect peace.  Being perfect, it has to be sustainable, renewable.

Today's verses are probably or at least should be familiar to us.  They come from the center of the book of Lamentations, chapter 3, and encourage us to "dare to hope".

Lamentations 3:21-23 (New Living Translation)  Yet I still dare to hope
      when I remember this: 

 ²² The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
      His mercies never cease.
 ²³ Great is his faithfulness;
      his mercies begin afresh each morning.

 It is a fitting verse for those of you who are following along and reading through the Old Testament and are currently in the book of Daniel.  Daniel was a person who dared to hope.  He felt God's and received God's mercies in the morning after spending a night in the lion's den, alone.  But he wasn't alone.

 

With the story of Daniel as a backdrop, read the words to New Mercy by Philips, Craig and Dean

 

On my knees I found to my surprise
That your mercy renewed with the sunrise

You make Your mercy new every day
You change my life in so many ways
You cradle me in Your sweet grace
You fill me
Yesterday, today, forever more
There's one thing I know for sure
Fresh as the morning dew
You make Your mercy new
Every morning

Oh the wasted times that I have known
A prodigal away from home
Not knowing
Every day Your grace was multiplied
With forgiveness waiting to provide
To save the entire world
How much grace would it take?
When the sun comes up
There will be enough

May God bring you peace as you dare to hope in the Lord.  Read the Lamentations passage from the Message or another translation, may it encourage you today.

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

 ^19-21I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
   the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
   the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
   and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

 ^22-24God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
   his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
   How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
   He's all I've got left.

 ^25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
   to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
   quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
   to stick it out through the hard times.

 ^28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
   go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
   Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
   The "worst" is never the worst.

 ^31-33Why? Because the Master won't ever
   walk out and fail to return.