In Grief and In Glory

YES, this is the first post since April, 2019! I'm really not sure what the Lord has in mind, but when I wrote this post for myself personally, I did feel as if the Lord was prompting me to share it here with all of you, and when I read it to Brian, he confirmed that prompting without me saying a word! Not sure if this will become a regular "event", at this point I'm just following the Lord's leading. So without further ado, here we go!

Recently during my devotions, the Lord led me to read Lamentations 3:19-24, and I’d like to share what the Lord taught me from this passage of Scripture.

The first thing Jeremiah did NOT do was to hide his troubles from the Lord, and he did NOT attempt to sugar coat them. He called them EXACTLY what they were, “mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall” (verse 19). 

Please take note that the Lord did NOT punish Jeremiah for honestly telling Him how he was feeling, of course the Lord already knew, but He truly desires for us to talk to Him about ALL things, the good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s a great thing that Jeremiah was so open about his deep feelings and dark emotions which he was experiencing. BUT it's an even better thing that he didn’t throw up his hands and just sit down and park himself right there!

Too often many of us stop at that place, pitch our tent, build a campfire and make ourselves right at home in our misery and afflictions, and if we’re not careful, we’ll never take the first step to move out of that barren wilderness. YES, I have found myself in this desert place one too many times!

We’ll begin to believe the LIES of our adversary, such as “God doesn’t care about me or even love me because if He did then I wouldn’t be going through this hard time.” And, YES, to my own demise I've fallen prey to these LIES one too many times!

What we NEED to do is follow the example set forth by Jeremiah. After his lament, he went on to say, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” Exactly what did he recall to his mind which caused him to have hope amid his affliction and misery?

Well, what Jeremiah remembered is rather powerful and it’s the EXACT same thing which we NEED to remember ALWAYS, but especially when going through afflictions and miseries. “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.”

WHAT AN

AMAZING TRUTH

TO RECALL

TO YOUR MIND!

JUST SIT AND SOAK IN THOSE WORDS!

Jeremiah then went on to say, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

The ONLY way in which Jeremiah could claim the Lord as his hope was to first recognize that the Lord was his portion, meaning that when circumstances made no sense at all, Jeremiah could trust and believe the Lord WAS still working things out for his good. 

He had to believe that the Lord was for him not against him.

He had to believe that the Lord would provide and care for him.

I, for one, AM EXTREMELY THANKFUL THAT THE LORD’S MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY DAY!

Every day the Lord in His great love, mercy and compassion gives us a clean slate.

A new beginning.

Why?

Because His mercies are new EVERY day

Because His compassion does NOT fail

Because great is HIS faithfulness

And as a believer, we can say that He IS our portion and our HELP! 

What I learned recently from this passage of Scripture, and what I just shared, may not be earth shattering or anything new, but to me, and I pray for you as well, it was a great reminder of God's love and care for us no matter our life circumstances. And as a believer, the Lord IS our PORTION and HOPE no matter our life circumstances! It really doesn't get any better than that! 

Don't forget,

in grief

and

in glory,

still great 

is

His faithfulness!

 

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May God Bless You,

Barb