Lam. 3:22-23 - The Lord's Mercies are new everyday GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS

I hope you are a better "waiter" than I am.  I have never been good at it but I know the Lord wants me to be patient and "wait upon" Him.  I also know that most of the things I wait for, if given some time to wait, will pass away as unnecessary.  At 70, that is a very good lesson to learn.

We are waiting for something quite important right now so here I sit, waiting.  There is no more helpful Scripture for me than Lam. 3:22-23.  When I am reminded that God's mercies are new every morning and that He is faithful in all of His plans, then I can be still and wait for Him.  I am reminded of how those grumbling Israelites - who were recently rescued from an awful life of slavery by a very good God - complained that they didn't have good enough things to eat.  In fact they were so ridiculous in their thinking they thought their life in slavery was better than their current state.  So in Exodus 16 we find our very good God giving them nourishment morning and night...with some instructions on how that nourishment was to be gathered.  The  daily nourishment was a "test" to see if they would trust their Lord or their storehouses.  Unfortunateley they learned that the hard way and often we do too.

When we trust our anything material then we don't trust our God.  Priscilla Shirer says about God: "...He persistently pursues His saints, even when they are running in the wrong direction."  It is His gracious love that causes Him to pursue us and give us new mercies every single day.  I know that in my patient waiting my persistent God is ready to bless and I trust His wisdom in what that blessing looks like.

For further study:  Deu. 7:9, Psalm 33:4, Psalm 91:4, Luke 11:3, 1 Cor. 10:13, 2 Cor. 4:16, Eph. 2:4-5, James 1:17, 1 Peter 1:3.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord - Jer. 17:7

The word "blessed" is frequently seen in the material world today.  I confess I have a t-shirt that I like to wear with the word on it.  But I also think the word is misunderstood...I think the world sees it one way and those in the church see it differently.  The Hebrew word is barak and means to kneel or to show favor by a gift...to receive an inheritance.  I believe it shows a heart of gratitude for favor from God...it reminds me that it is not my work that has been successful but God's.

I  believe it can be misunderstood because of so much hardship in the world...for believers and nonbelievers alike.  So maybe it seems to be blessed is an impossible goal...maybe it denotes a kind of perfect life that we likely will never see on this earth.  I don't want to ever pretend that just because I consider myself blessed, I have everything perfect in my life.  I just don't think God thinks that would be good for us.  Therefore, the many times "blessed" is used in the Bible it is connected to obedience.  Our obedience to what God's instructions are for each of us...day by day...not the total A+ we think the Lord requires.  He desires that we would seek Him and daily give our strengths and our weaknesses to Him.  To be grateful for small steps and a big God.

Cathy Morenzie in her blog said:

"If you're anything like me and struggle with the concept of TOTAL obedience, stop equating it with perfection and start thinking about it as the path to true blessings."

The world cannot offer us blessing..."blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord".

For further study:  Deu. 30:16, 1 Kings 2:1-3, 2 Chron. 16:9, Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 29:18, Isaiah 30:18, Matt. 5:1-12, John 15:10, Romans 8:28, James 1:12.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly