KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2016
Chapters: Lamentations 3-5
Message: The Mercies Of God
Hello My Friend,
I swear sometimes my faith in not only God, but my own abilities can change like Florida summer weather, hot and sunny one second and pouring down rain the next. Life can get you cheery and hopeful one minute and depressed and hopeless the next, but God in not like that, He is the same way all the time, His faith and commitment to us never wavers, even if we do believe all things are possible through Christ and seconds later it is just impossible. I want to cry as I type this because God’s mercies and grace are endless, yet God has every right to do so. How blessed are we, those who are saved, and born again, that even though we mess up every day, God’s mercy endures.
“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. 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.” – Lamentations 3:22-26.
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him,” Do you know what the most amazing thing about God is? He does not take our lack of faith to heart. He knows we are weak, moody, sometimes self-centered and full of self doubt brought on by the devils minions, but He also knows that we do have hope of something far better when we leave this earth. Our, temporary lapse of faith often leads to some self pity and feelings of abandonment from God, this is the way Jeremiah felt as he grieved over the state of Jerusalem and the affliction he faced.
“He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” – Lamentations 3:7-11,16-18.
“My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” We are faithful to God, live our lives with integrity, yet it can seem as though we face more difficulties the more live our lives for Him. That really is not the case, and within the same time that we take our rants to God, we find that we just had that temporary lapse of faith.
“For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.” – Lamentations 3:31-33,55-58.
“thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul;” You see, God might allow affliction to our body, but our cannot be touched, if it belongs to Christ, it is safe and secure, redeemed and given life. We have to admit, that much of the affliction we face as Christians has absolutely nothing to do with us, while God is personal and deals with us one on one, the overall effect of a sinful nation always results in us getting caught up in the middle. Let me tell you, people are scrambling, doing everything they can to prepare for a famine, even Christians, but no amount of preparation will change the fact that judgment is coming, not for the unbelievers, that comes later, but for the unfaithful. If God judged Israel, He will judge every nation that turns against Him first, God explains why to Jeremiah.
“For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.” – Lamentations 4:6-9,16,17.
“The anger of the LORD hath divided them;” God’s people are like precious jewels to Him, they are valuable and precious, yes, they get tarnished, but they will shine once they overcome their sin. Sin always separates us from God, but those who truly want to change the situations in their lives will not only seek God and His mercies, but also take the steps needed to change them by walking with Christ and conforming to Him. I was in a big mess at one time, even going to church, I cried for God to get me out of the situation, but was still conforming to me and not Christ. It was not until I truly wanted to get out of the situation I was in that God had compassion on me and helped me.
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:10-12.
Those who faithfully serve God are committed to Him, yet the more Christlike they become the more they seem to wait. As Jeremiah is pondering the destruction of Jerusalem, he laments over the state of Judah in captivity, but pleas with God for the return of His mercy.
“Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities. Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.” – Lamentations 5:5-7,19-22.
“renew our days as of old.” Think about all the suffering that an unsaved person or even one that has backslidden faces and how hopeless they feel, they cannot see God nor trust Him to help them out of their situation. Waiting on God is not easy, especially when being afflicted, but if we keep looking to Jesus as we walk toward the prize together, it will be worth the wait.
“Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – 1 Peter 5:9,10.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” – Lamentations 3:25.
Today’s Prayer: God, As we live by faith and not sight, we are called to serve You faithfully as we wait for You to give us the things we need and desire. You know exactly what we need, and if it is in Your will You will give them to us on Your timetable, not ours. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, strengthen us, and help us to look to You for hope and do what is necessary on our part to not only conform to the likeness of Your Son, as we await Your answers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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