Verse of the Day 7/20

Through the Bible - Psalms 26-28, Acts 15:1-21

 

Yesterday we considered how important God's Word is in our lives as expressed in James Smith's statement, "  My Word is plain--read it; it is faithful--trust it; it is honest--plead it; it is sure--expect the fulfillment of it."

 

Looking back in my own life and those of friends and relatives, then on back to New Testament and Old Testament figures, God's Word brings hope, comfort, strength and peace even in the most troubling times.  He makes His mercy new.  For me, it has especially come in the morning, in devotional times.

 

Reading a Psalm every day will bring reminders of this in the life of David and others.  We also see it in the prophets.  For today's verse we'll go to Lamentations, written by Jeremiah "the weeping prophet".  In the midst of dark hours he wrote some of the most powerful and comforting words in the Bible that speak of God's mercies.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       ²³ They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.

 

The preceding verses give us the emotional setting of the prophets circumstances:

²⁰ I will never forget this awful time,
      as I grieve over my loss.
 ²¹ Yet I still dare to hope
      

He has hope because over His life he has been renewed in the past, he has seen God's faithfulness, His loyal, steadfast love, and hopes, trusts and expects to experience it again. 

 

The verses have inspired many songs, old as in "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "New Mercy".  Read a few of the lines from "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 
 

The simple line "you fill me" ties this in with yesterday's verse from Psalms 81:10 "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."   NKJV

 

May you be filled with God's mercies, every morning.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Lamentations 3:19-26

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ¹⁹ The thought of my suffering and homelessness
      is bitter beyond words.
 ²⁰ I will never forget this awful time,
      as I grieve over my loss.
 ²¹ 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.
 ²⁴ I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
      therefore, I will hope in him!"

 ²⁵ The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
      to those who search for him.
 ²⁶ So it is good to wait quietly
      for salvation from the Lord.