"Thankful - Part 3"

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not" Lamentations 3:22

Today I would like to give thanks to the Lord for His mercy.  His mercy withholds from us what we deserve.  We deserve judgment, punishment-- death.  We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of our sins is death.  But because of His mercy we have been given the opportunity, as we have been talking about, through His Son Jesus to have forgiveness of our sins and receive instead the gift of God which is eternal life. 

If you have noticed over the past three days, I have used two of the same scriptures.  In those we see His attributes of mercy, compassion and faithfulness.  But these are not all, there are more-- He is more.  He is Love.  He is Grace.  He is Peace.  He is Deliverance, Healing, Righteousness, Holiness, Purity, Goodness, Joy, etc.  You see, God doesn't just possess these attributes, He doesn't just "carry them around in His pocket" this is Who He Is.  For example, in my purse I have a wallet, but I am not a wallet.  I have a package of Kleenex, but I am not a tissue.  I have a comb, but I am not a comb.  Not so with God.  He doesn't just carry love around with Him, He Is love.  He doesn't just possess righteousness, He Is Righteous.  

I hope you are taking time with me to thank the Lord for all that He has given you and blessed you with, take time to thank Him for Who He Is.  Had it not been for Who He Is, He would not have given you what you have.  Because He is compassion, mercy and faithful He has given you the gift of eternal life, and all the blessings that come with it. 

Have a great day.  While thanking the Lord for all He has given you, thank Him for Who He Is as well.  You wouldn't have what you have had He not been who He Is.

For further reading:
1 John 4:7,8
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8   
John 3:16,17

"Thankful - Part 2"

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." Lamentations 3:22

This morning the attribute of the Lord that I am thankful for is His compassion.  I don't always understand the compassion that He has towards us.  When I looked up the word compassion, it also referred to "womb".  The compassion of the Lord is so deep. It comes from the very inner most part and depth of who He is.  Were it not for His compassion for us, we would have all been consumed and destroyed by our own sin without hope.

His compassion for us prompted Him to reach out to us with the hand of salvation.  He was, and is, not willing that any of us should perish.  When one person dies lost and goes out into eternal hell away from Him, it grieves His heart.  He is grieved because of the great love He has for them.  He is grieved because He provided a way of escape, and they would not take it.  He is grieved because they rejected His Son whom He sent in exchange to pay the ransom price for their sins.

Have you experienced the great compassion of the Lord?  Perhaps you know about it.  Perhaps you have heard about it.  But have you experienced it?  Do you know how it feels?  Do you know it personally?  How do we experience it?  We experience it by accepting His Son Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  His compassion is then placed in our lives in the person of Jesus.  When Jesus comes in, His compassion floods our souls giving us peace, taking away the shame and guilt, and setting us free. 

Have a great day.  I am thankful for the compassion of the Lord.  Are you?

For further reading:
Psalm 111:4; 145:8
Romans 9:15 

 

"Thankful"

"They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:23

I want to take the next few days and focus on some of the attributes of our Heavenly Father that I am thankful for.  Today I am thankful for His faithfulness!

Faithfulness is the attribute and character of God that I love the most.  I never have to wonder about Him.  I never have to doubt what He says.  I never have to hope that He hasn't changed.  He is faithful to His own character.  He is faithful to His promises.  He is faithful to His people.     

When He says He won't leave me, He won't leave me.  When He makes me a promise, He will keep it.  He is totally trustworthy (faithful).  His faithfulness is not contingent upon my faithfulness.  Even when I am not faithful to Him, He is still faithful to me.

Thousands of years ago, God made a promise in the Garden of Eden to redeem mankind from his sins.  Though the years passed, God still showed His faithfulness when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to give His life on the cross.  Often, we accuse God of being unfaithful because of "time".  When He doesn't "act" or "move" when we think He should, or want Him to, we think that He has been unfaithful.  That is never the case.  His faithfulness is perfect-- in time, in plan, in fulfillment.  He is faithful... period!

Have a great day.  I am thankful today for God's faithfulness.  Are you?   

For further reading:
2 Timothy 2:13
Genesis 3:15
John 19:30
Psalm 89:33

 

"The Greatest Love"

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13

I woke up the other morning thinking about the love of God.  The love He has for us is not "ordinary".  It is supernatural.  It is not "conditional" is it unconditional.  It is not a "lip service" love, it is a love demonstrated.  The cross was all about love.  On the outside it looked like a place of suffering, a place of pain, a place of shame, and a place of humiliation, and it WAS all that, but more importantly and behind all the suffering was a love so great it cannot be fathomed with the human intellect.  So great it has endured for thousands of years.  So great that nothing greater has been able to top or out do it. 

 

Take time today, especially if you are feeling unloved and unwanted, and just look at the cross.  Find a picture of it, or maybe you have one in your home.  And just stare at it and think about what Jesus did for you on it.  Don't get a "frilly" one that is very ornate.  Find a plain, simple and rugged one.  As you stare at it, and take a long time to do so, and while you are thinking about it begin to say to yourself over and over-- Jesus loves me; He did this for me; thank you, Jesus for loving me.  This may seem odd to you to do this, but some days we just have to remind ourselves. 

 

Have a great day.  The cross was all about love.  Remind yourself that Jesus loves you!

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17  

"Resolved"

"I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end."  Psalm 119:112

The Psalmist said that he was resolved (had a firm determination) to keep and do God's word.  Are you resolved to do God's will?  Are you resolved to apply HIs word to your life?  Are you resolved to do it until the end?  Until the end of your life?  Until the end of the matter is completed that you are walking through? 

Daniel and the other Hebrews were resolved to follow the law of God even in captivity.  They had purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves with the king's meat.  They held onto and practiced God's law throughout their entire captivity in Babylon-- until they died.  They were able to do this because they had already resolved the matter in their hearts.  They went into captivity already determined to keep God's law no matter what it might cost them.  Therefore, it wasn't an issue for them. 

When we come to Christ as Savior, it isn't a matter of "trying" Him and seeing if it works for you.  It is a matter of resolving yourself (inclining, having a firm determination) that from that day forward you are giving your whole life to Him to follow Him until you die. 

Have you made that determination?  Are you determined that no matter what comes your way you will follow Him and keep His word for the rest of your life?  We don't need to be wishy-washy, and back and forth, and up and down.  We need to be resolved and settled in our hearts-- I will follow Him, period!

Have a great day.  Following the Lord and keeping His word is a lifelong decision.  Have you determined that you would do that?

For further reading:
Daniel 1:8

Matthew 16:24