And the crumbs kept coming

 

This morning, I sent out a short text message about a blessing I received and for some reason it really resonated with the majority of those I sent it to, and so I wanted to share it here and elaborate on it a little more.

I don’t know why it is so, but I am always amazed at the “common mercies” of God. Does anyone else find this to be the case? We really shouldn’t be surprised when God drops little blessings into our laps, after all, he reminds us over and over in Scripture of his goodness and his faithfulness to his children. And yet, we marvel.

Let you share with you the example I shared this morning. For those who’ve already heard it, stay with me as I expound on it a little more.

Tonight, we are having some old friends over for a meal, and one of the favourites in our family is crumbed steak. It is a laborious job of preparation but so very worth it! Shout out to my wonderful mother-in-law for teaching me the skill as a newlywed.

Anyway, I dashed into Woolies to grab a few things for the dinner and dessert and was frustrated to find that there were no breadcrumbs to be had. I knew I had almost a full packet at home, so I hoped it would be enough for the huge mound of steak I was preparing. I was also planning on grabbing a pumpkin, but to my dismay, they were nowhere to be found either.

Grabbing a bag of carrots instead, I carried on my way, making do with what I had, never stopping to ask the Lord to supply what I needed.  

Arriving home, I was surprised to find a very large pumpkin sitting on my kitchen bench and came to find out that a lovely lady at our local butcher, where our daughter used to work, had kindly given it to her. Blessing number one.

This morning, I busied myself in the kitchen, baking a cake, and laying out the necessary ingredients to start my production line of crumbing the steak. (On a side note, I really do miss those days with my daughters as we worked down the line together, pounding, beating, tossing, frying and eating the little testers as we went.)

I decided I would just crumb as much as possible and then go to plan B which would probably include toasting bread and turning it into crumbs. Not a difficult task, but just another thing to do.

Blessing number two. Just as the widows’ pot of oil didn’t run dry until the need was met, my pan of crumbs just kept crumbing, one piece after another was tossed in, crumbed and set aside. And then, as another was added, there was still more. As I crumbed the last piece, I marvelled that I still had some crumbs leftover and wondered if I had had more steak, would the Lord have kept on supplying more crumbs?

This endless supply humbled me. I had not even thought to ask God to provide what I needed and yet he did. And abundantly. Graciously. Lovingly.

It made me think of one of my favourite verses.

Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

God is able to do over and beyond what we ask, but not only that, also what we think, and I might add, what we don’t even think to think!

He supplied what I needed when I didn’t even ask. God saw my need and he met that need.

This wonderful verse in Ephesians is such a beautiful promise. If you look back to verse 14 and following in this chapter, you’ll see that they are part of a prayer by Paul to the church at Ephesus.

Paul prays for the saints at Ephesus that they may be strengthened by the Spirit, that Christ would dwell in their hearts, that they would be able to comprehend God’s amazing love to them and that they would be filled with the fulness of God.

And then, he writes these powerful words that we find in verse 20.

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..

The Greek word used for exceeding, is the word ‘hyper’.  If any of you reading this have a very active child, you will know all about that word hyper. It has the idea of over, above and beyond. Hyperactive children don’t just do things. They DO things! Over, above and beyond what you expect. Nothing done half-heartedly. It’s over the top.

And strangely enough, Paul uses the Greek word again, in the same verse. He uses it for the word ‘above’. So, we have 2 hypers in the same verse! That’s seriously hyper!  I think Paul wants us to really grasp this idea of God giving us so much more than we ask.

Paul describes God as a God who can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

So, God doesn’t just do and give what we ask or think, but He goes beyond. Over and above. He gives exceeding abundantly above.  We can’t even begin to understand what God can do.

Matthew Henry puts it like this:

“There is an inexhaustible fulness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open thy mouth ever so wide, still he hath wherewithal to fill it.”

But an even more mind-blowing moment is the fact that it’s not just what we ask, but also what we think!

We don’t even have to ask it, and He sees into our hearts and our minds, and goes over, above and beyond to do exceeding abundantly, to do even what we think and haven’t even verbalised yet!

How many times have you prayed for something small, just a little thing, and God answered, and you thought to yourself, “Oh! I wish I had asked for more”. We pray our small prayers, hoping for a little drop of blessing and God pours out a colossal river of blessing from His vast treasure house and our puny, little bucket overflows, spilling out and filling others’ lives as we share what God has done.  And we’re left wishing we had lifted a swimming pool to heaven and asked for that to be filled!

God answers over and above all that we ask or think. He doesn’t just answer, He ANSWERS! And He doesn’t just bless, He BLESSES! His grace and mercy are inexhaustible. Unfathomable. Immeasurable. Incalculable. Incomprehensible. 

But wait there’s more!

God’s abundance is not limited to only a few. It never runs out! His wellspring of blessing is everlasting. It is unending. Unlimited. Boundless. So, this means, that no matter how many blessings He showers upon other’s lives, there is still enough for me. For you. For everyone. We don’t have to fear that His supply will run out. There’s no need to worry that by the time He comes to us, there is only a drop left.

No! He supplies over and above. EXCEEDING ABUNDANT!

These last 2 verses of Ephesians 3 are the end of the prayer for the church at Ephesus and here Paul sets a good example for us. Notice he is ending the prayer with praise. Praise to an awesome God. In verse 20, he describes God and what he is able to do and then in verse 21 he gives God all the praise.

Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

It’s a good habit to get into. Not only beginning our prayers with praise, but also concluding our prayers with praise. To end our prayers with praise and thankfulness to God will bring glory to His name and have you rising from your knees with a grateful heart and a spring in your step.

Over the past couple of days, God has answered some BIG prayers that I have been praying about for the past 4 years. The answers took their time in coming, but God knew what he was doing, and his timing was in his control and the circumstances were under his hand.

And so, I want to encourage you to keep this verse in your minds and in your hearts and remember that God is able.

It doesn’t matter what struggles you may be facing, what burdens you may be carrying, what trials you may be suffering through, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all!  It doesn’t matter how big or how small your prayers are, He is able.

Take heart. Stay faithful. Trust in His promises. Bring your cares to him.

Wait on him. Watch God work.

And when He does, give Him all the glory.

Revelation 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does your soul crave?

 

This afternoon, I felt the overwhelming need to take a walk while listening to instrumental worship music, letting my soul catch up with my body. As I walked the bins down the long drive and made my way very slowly back, I began to think about rest. And how badly I wanted it.

With dry season upon us, here in the Territory, the oppressive heat is gone and has been replaced with ever increasing cooler days, clear skies, epic sunsets, and a different beauty to the landscape.

I always find it’s the kind of weather that has me wanting to linger in its coolness at the end of a long day, climbing up on the roof to watch the sunset, or rising earlier to enjoy the colourful sunrise.

But along with the dry season, the workload increases. The tourists arrive in droves, the communities come into town and the stations are in full swing with their mustering, hay cutting, yard building etc and so the transport industry I work in becomes a series of overwhelmingly long days and hectic weeks.

It begins to get harder and harder to find time in the day to take time to rest. Just when one job is finished, another has to start.

When you fall into bed at night, you’re exhausted, physically, emotionally and mentally. You enjoy your much needed sleep, only to get up and do it all again the next day.

Maybe you’ve had days like this, or months or even years. Being caught up in a weary season right now, I am reminded of Isaiah 40. I love the comfort that the Word of God brings to a weary soul.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

It’s so clearly put. Haven’t you heard? Don’t you know? That God never tires. He is never weary. He never faints.

He knows that we grow weary. We tire. We faint. And because of this he reminds us that he gives power and strength.

This passage speaks of God’s inexhaustible strength and power. We have to remember who it is that gives us the ability to soldier on, through the weary and long days. It is only through God’s power that we are victorious. We are not able to make it through the weary seasons in our lives without the Lord’s help.

When we try and do things in our own strength, we just exhaust ourselves and wear out. We set ourselves up for failure.

Being weary is a physical sign that we are in need of refreshment, whether physically, mentally or spiritually.

We can’t always control the busy seasons in our lives, as things have to be done and time marches on swiftly, but what we can control is the choice to wait on the Lord and lean on him, seeking refreshment from him.

Tonight, as I finished my walk, I thought about what I could do to pass the time before I needed to go out again to pick up my husband, get him packed again to head off once more. I had so many things to choose from, and most of them not enjoyable.

A little voice in my head whispered, “Go ahead and watch a movie, or scroll social media, you deserve it, you’ve had a long day”.

But I knew, down deep inside, it wasn’t what my soul needed. That kind of comfort wouldn’t last. It wouldn’t satisfy.

What my soul craved was to hear from the Lord. To read words of comfort and encouragement found in the Word of God. (Psalm 42:1)

What I needed was soul food. I needed the water of God’s Word pouring into my heart and mind, soaking into the dry and parched places of my life.

I needed an updraft of air, lifting me up as an eagle in flight, causing me to rise, refreshing and renewing me.

God’s Word and his whispers to our hearts in times of difficulty and seasons of weariness can bring a refreshing wind to our wings, enabling us to rise above the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Okay, so God doesn’t always choose to remove us from the circumstance, he more often than not chooses to give us the strength to bear it instead of taking us out of it. He gives power to the faint and increases our strength.

What an amazing and awesome God to know exactly what we need!

When I find myself weary in body and mind, I reach for God’s promises. Before I began to write this tonight, I began to read over some old posts that I had written in times like this. I encouraged my heart with the Word of God and the remembrance of past victories and God’s enabling power.

As I sit here, I am still weary in body, but my soul is being refreshed. Yes, I still have so many things on my to do list and every day this week is full to the brim and overflowing. No, I don’t know how I’m going to fit it all in, but this I do know. God will be with me each step of the way, walking beside me, his presence always there, his strong arm upholding me, going before me and beside me.

And if I take the time to rest in him, not in what this world has to offer, but in him, taking time to sit in silence and let him speak, listening to his words of comfort and letting him order my days, obeying his voice and allowing him to bring peace to my soul, he will refresh, renew and replenish and he will give my body the energy it needs to do what he asks of me.

God’s Word tells us we can come boldly to him, seeking rest, seeking peace, seeking refreshment and seeking help.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We can rest in Him, knowing that He will uphold us and be with us through every weary day. Every trial. Walking beside us, lighting the path before us, guiding each faltering footstep. Carrying us when we are too weak to stand.

Take time to rest. You can’t afford not to.

We need rest in our lives. True rest. God centred rest.

True rest is found when we sit before the Lord and listen to Him.

Stop thinking about your to do lists, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective. Focus on his presence.

Yesterday is too heavy. Lay it down. Today is too difficult. Lay it down. Tomorrow is too unknown and fearful. Lay it down. Give it to the Lord and rest in him.

Come boldly to the throne of grace and let Him gather you in His arms and give you the help you need and let him bring his rest and his peace.

Matthew 11:28

 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

 

 

Are you getting ready?

 

I read a quote today that made me stop and think.

“How can we want to spend eternity with God,

 but we can’t even spend an hour with him now?”

At one time in my life, I would have responded with a huge “OUCH”. But I am so happy that God has done such a work in my heart, albeit through countless trials (I’m a slow learner), that I now crave time spent with God and in his Word. One hour is never long enough!

And no, I don’t have it all figured out and I’m not trying to appear any more spiritual than anyone reading this. It has taken years, and I mean YEARS for me to arrive at this point. Sadly, I neglected study of God’s Word for far too long and so as I get older the urge to study and learn is strong and I know I will be playing ‘catch-up’ til I die, and still not even scratch the surface of the treasures to be found in the Bible.

As I look around me, and as I meet with other Christians and connect through phone calls and texts and over social media, I am beginning to see a sad trend amongst believers. The desire for God’s Word and gaining knowledge and understanding through the pages of scripture is not high on the list of to dos for so many. I fear that there are many Christians that don’t desire even ten minutes alone with the Lord, let alone an hour!

Yes, they’re very busy in their programs and groups, but actually sitting alone in silence, reading the Word, looking at context and culture, trying to understand and listening to God speak, is not really a priority.

They are content to fellowship on a regular basis, listen to the preacher expound the truth, letting him do all the hard work of in-depth study and prayer, and yet they have no desire to do it themselves.

Often, so many are content to scroll on social media for hours on end, and yes, I am guilty of this too, and yet they neglect consistent time spent with God. They neglect working on their relationship with God through being in his Word.

Some friends and I are at present, working through a book on the importance of studying the Word of God. Now I know I have written a lot on this topic in previous posts, so I won’t go into depth on the subject, but hear me out. If you don’t have any desire or interest in spending time with God now, on this earth, where you need him the most, as you battle through your days, how in the world do you expect to enjoy an eternity of worshipping at his feet?

The Bible is a book about God. How can you get to know him if you never read it? How will you know why he is worthy of your worship if you don’t learn of his character? How will you understand what is going on in our world and what is to come if you don’t dig into the harder passages in your Bible?

If you’re not keen on spending time with him now, why would you want to spend an eternity with him?

Sounds harsh, I know. But have you ever taken the time to think about it?

I love to sing songs about Heaven, and there are many that have me tearing up each and every time I sing them. I love to sing about that great day when he calls us home. I love to sing about the promised place we have with him.

The thought of leaving this earth for an eternity so vastly different than anything we can even imagine is mind boggling.

I know that I’ve been guilty of looking forward to Heaven because it means leaving this messed up world and all its troubles. But the real reason we should look forward to Heaven is because God, the creator of all things, is there!

Yes, we’ll be away from the cares of this world, there will be no tears, no heartaches, no pain, no sorrow (Revelation 21:4), but the most awesome, wonderful, glorious part of Heaven will be God’s presence! For all eternity! A never-ending infinite period of time in which every day we can spend in praise and worship of God, in person, in the flesh, face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Shouldn’t we start practicing spending time with him now? Don’t you think that the more time you spend in the Word now, getting to know him more and more, will only set your soul on fire and create a greater desire for his eternal presence to come?

More often than not, when you came to Christ, you came with a limited knowledge of God. We come to faith in God on very little information. We understand that we need his forgiveness and his grace, and we may understand that he is good, but until we have made a study of him, we don’t really ‘know’ him.

How are we supposed to nurture and grow our relationship with him without study of him? And how do we do this? By getting into the Word. As we grow in the knowledge of his character through in depth study of his Word, the result is a deeper love for him.

As we learn more about him and his character, we learn more about ourselves and we realise we fall short. Knowing this causes us to change things in our lives, to let God do his purifying work. Making us more like Christ with each passing day and with each look into the mirror of his Word. The light of his Word reveals the dark places in our hearts and a process of sanctification begins.

You will only be transformed by the Word of God by the amount of time you spend in it. If you never study it, you can’t be transformed by it.

Soak yourself in God’s Word and let him do a purifying work in your heart and soul and mind, cleaning you from the inside out, making you more like Christ.

Read it. Study it. Love it. Live it. Share it.

And when you get to Heaven, all you have learnt about Christ, all you know of his character will give you cause to worship and for all eternity you will never run out of things to praise him for.

Revelation 4:8, 11 KJV - And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. ... Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

I am so Blessed

Well, another year has past, and another Mother’s Day is here! I am not in the habit of posting an annual tribute to Mothers, but this year I wanted to step into this space to take the time to brag on my beautiful daughters.

I know it’s Mother’s Day and it is a day where we traditionally celebrate Mothers, but I am only a Mother because of the amazing children God gifted my husband and I with.

Beginning way back in 1996, welcoming our first daughter, Lauren, into the world and then Abigail in 1998, Emilee in 2000, Madeline in 2001 and finally, Chloe, in 2003.

What a crazy, wild, rollercoaster ride it has been!

They say that Mother’s hold their children’s hands for a little while, but their hearts forever, and a truer statement in regard to motherhood, has never been said!

It seems that only yesterday I began my motherhood journey and walked through days of babies, toddlers, homeschooling, learning to drive, navigating teen years and occupations and finally adulthood for each of them.

Motherhood is a very challenging and yet rewarding occupation, if I can call it that, and raising children is a great responsibility and one we should never take lightly. When God calls you to motherhood, you begin shaping little lives and future generations. Will you train them to follow after Christ or will they chase the world? It’s a daunting task and one that needs God’s wisdom each and every day.

I would love to write pages and pages on each of our daughters, reliving moments, and singing their praises, but it would be hard to know how much to share for each of them, not wanting any of them to feel left out.

But what I can say is this,

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

It is only by God’s grace that we are blessed to see each of our daughters walking in truth. They have a heart to serve the Lord and a desire to walk in his ways. Yes, they’ve faced their share of challenges, one of them being learning to live with their mum and her failings, but they have weathered it well and learnt to rely on the Lord to be their strength, their guide, their counsellor and their help.

God has blessed three of them (so far) with wonderful husbands who match their desire for God and lead their families well. Our hearts overflow with thankfulness for God’s goodness to us and them.

When I married the love of my life, back in 1995, I had no idea what God had in store for me. I didn’t know what the future would hold. I only knew that I always wanted to be a mother. I loved babies and knew I wanted some of my own.

I did not know, however, how much work it would be. I didn’t realise what an awesome responsibility I would be facing and how much my heart would burst as I looked into their sweet little faces in those first few moments after their birth.

I didn’t understand the frustration of not knowing what to do when tensions rose, or sickness came, or sleepless nights abounded.  

I couldn’t fathom just how much of God’s wisdom I would need in raising little ones, teaching and training them, exemplifying a Godlike character, modelling Christlikeness and growing in my own spiritual walk, trying to squeeze in quiet times with the Lord and quality time with my husband. It was such a juggle of priorities and yes, at times, it was downright hard. And there were days when I wondered if they would remember all my failings or would forgive my anger or bad attitude.

I have many regrets when it comes to my faults and the mistakes I made, but God is a God who forgives, and he restores and renews and sends along new mercies each morning.

Despite the hard times, there were so many beautiful memories made that I cherish to this day, and if I had to go back and do it all again, I would!

My daughters are a source of blessing in my life, and I love how the dynamic of our relationship has changed over the years. We have grown in our relationships from Mother to friend. Although I will always be ‘Mum’, it’s beautiful when you become a ‘friend’.

I am so proud of my daughters’ accomplishments in life, work, ministry, marriage, child raising, spiritual growth, relationships and so much more.

They each have unique personalities and gifts and talents that God has blessed them with and praise God they are learning to use them for him. I give all the credit to God for this.

I may have taught them the basics in life and given them a start in their education, but it is God who has done the greatest work. In the process of growing them, he has grown me.

Motherhood has a way of changing you.

And so, I say, to each of my daughters, you have helped to soften me, and teach me. You have pushed me to draw closer to God. The paths I have been down because of the uncertainty I faced only drew me to my knees in prayer and to my Father’s side. You have helped me see the importance of chasing God’s wisdom and guidance. You have made me dig into God’s Word for answers. You have taught me patience. You have taught me to love and to give. You have taught me how to comfort and show compassion. And I am forever grateful.

I love you. Always and forever.

 Psalm 127:3

 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

“Being a Mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you’ve gained from having one”

 The Never-Ending Mercies of God

 

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

There is a beautiful chorus, written a few years ago, that comes to mind every so often and I find myself singing it and playing its lovely melody occasionally as I sit at the piano.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness.

The song is based on the verses found in the third chapter of the Book of Lamentations.

The book of Lamentations is not a book I read often, with its woeful descriptions of Jerusalem’s downfall, and yet it holds great hope for God’s people. It was written by Jeremiah, often called the ‘weeping prophet’ (Lam. 3:48-49), because of his passion for the people and their city and the many tears he shed on their behalf.

It is a book of laments (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) over the fall of Jerusalem caused by the sinful condition of Judah. Lamenting is something we avoid and not a word we use commonly, but in ancient times, it was a very real thing.

The people of Judah were experiencing God’s judgement because they refused to turn from their sin back to God.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in a time of grief and mourning after the once great city of Jerusalem fell to Babylon. God allowed the Babylonians to plunder, burn and destroy the city of Jerusalem because of their unwillingness to repent. Even Solomon’s temple, which had stood for 400 years, in all its splendour and glory, was burned to the ground. (2 Kings 25:9)

As you read through the book of Lamentations, the tone is that of despair, weeping, captivity, persecution and desolation. It’s not a pleasant book to read. And yet, as we make our way through the misery we read verse after verse, we finally come to chapter 3 and verse 21. And there, right in the middle of the book, like rain after drought, like the dawning of a new day, we read a beautiful passage of confidence and hope.

Jeremiah’s despair turns to hope.

Lamentations 3:21 KJV - This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

After all the expressions of sorrow and heartache, we begin to see a glimmer of hope. Jeremiah, even after all he’s seen, hasn’t given up on God. He still has hope.

Skip down to verses 24-26, and we’ll come back to 22 and 23 soon.

Lamentations 3:24-26 KJV - The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

These verses, in the middle of the book, are a statement of faith. The faith of Jeremiah standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness that shines a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin.

Yes, the book reminds us of the heavy price we pay when we choose to sin, but it also gives hope to those who choose to repent.

As we know, later on God restored his people to their land and blessed them once again.

The beauty of this book of Lamentations is that even the most sinful person can find hope in God who is willing to pour out his abundant mercy and grace on any who come to him in repentance.

And for the Christian, as we live our daily lives and we falter and fail, God is willing and able to forgive.

Now, back to the most familiar verses in the whole book of Lamentations and the verses the little chorus is based upon.

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

In some Bible versions, the word stedfast is used to paint a picture of God’s firm, immoveable, unchanging love.

We know that God’s love abides even in times of trouble and in times of judgment. God never once stopped loving Israel, despite their sin. It was God’s great love that spared the people from being utterly wiped out by Babylon.

When you grasp the fact that God’s love is never ending and unchangeable, you will understand more about God’s mercy. Mercy is a byproduct of God’s love. Since God’s love will never end, neither will his mercy.

God’s mercy, put simply, is God’s goodness, compassion, lovingkindness and favour. Though we deserve punishment, God reaches down and extends his arm of blessing.

And so, it is because of God’s great love and mercy that we are not consumed, destroyed, finished, given up on.

It’s nothing we have done, it is all that he has done. On our behalf.

We are told that his mercy and compassions ‘fail not’. The Hebrew word for this is ‘kala’. It literally means finished. Completed. Worn out. Failed. Perished. Used up. Exhausted.

Think about it like this.

God’s mercy towards you:

Will never finish

Will never be gone

Will never fail

Will never perish

Will never be exhausted

Will never run out

Will never fail

Will never grow weary.

And just when you thought this promise was too good to be true, keep reading, there’s more!

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

So, if you thought that God’s mercies would tire, Jeremiah reminds us that they are new every morning. In other words, every morning is a new beginning.

God gives mercy for each day, and it is refilled and refreshed every morning.

It’s not just about availability, it’s also about access. Regardless of how often we have to rely on his mercy, which in reality is every day, you can always come back for more.

It’s not a license to sin but it is a promise to those who walk in obedience to him.

The last line of verse 23 ties it all together. “Great is thy faithfulness”.

The reason we can depend on God’s mercy and compassion, is because of his faithfulness. It is God’s faithfulness to his Word and the promises we find there, that ensures us new mercies each morning.

We are told in Psalm 138 that God honours his Word above his name.

Psalm 138:2 KJV - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

(interestingly, the word for lovingkindness is the same Hebrew word used for mercy)

God is true to his Word. He never breaks a promise.

There is no expiration date on God’s mercy. With the dawn of every day comes another store of compassion made available to us. His stores are infinite.

No matter which side of the bed we get up on, we will find God’s mercies awaiting us.

Don’t neglect the conditions on your way to the blessings though.

Lamentations 3:25 KJV - The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

We are granted new mercies, but we are reminded that God requires us to wait on him (patiently) and also to seek (follow) him.

We need to repent quickly. We need to keep short accounts. Recognize the value of his mercy and don’t let it be an excuse for sin. Instead, let it be the reason you come running to him in repentance.

We also need to renew frequently. Regardless of the sins of yesterday, we need to come to God in repentance, renew our commitment to him and begin each day afresh. When we fall on our face and fail him, we can reach out our arms to him, letting him set our feet on solid ground once again and bathe in his forgiveness and love.

And we need to remember to rejoice continually. Because of God’s stedfast love, we don’t have to wonder if God has changed his mind. We can live with the assurance that his mercies are never-ending and that they will always be accessible. This should give us cause to rejoice each and every day.

The Lord Jesus, the God of creation, is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never change. We can rest on his promises and hold fast to his Word.

 

Hebrews 13:8 KJV - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.