A LIVING ROOM DEVOTIONAL

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:19-23

 One of my favourite hymns is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” written by Thomas Chisholm and based on Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations. When I sing it, I can’t stop the tears from rolling down. What moves me most is how God is faithful to us through the hard times we suffer.

From deep down, where memories of pain reside, we sing—with hope in our hearts—“Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” And how it moves us! We thank God for always being there, rescuing us from our painful struggles and returning us to a life worth living. All we need He provides. His compassions are new every morning. In every way, this is a song of praise.

Don’t you find that you appreciate God’s compassion more after you’ve suffered and then recovered? And the more you’ve suffered, the more this is so? This scripture, as well as the hymn, was written for people who, like you and me, have struggled.

We thank God for His provisions in the unfolding of the seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, each with its good and bad points. All provided by our faithful creator, God. What a blessing!

Oh that we could stop our busy lives more often and remember God’s faithfulness! May we never forget to appreciate all God is, has been, and will be.

Great is His faithfulness! . . . And, full of hope, we sing:

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all [ours], with ten thousand beside!

Won’t you sing along with this great rendition by Austin Stone Worship? Or, if you’re like me, it’s just great to listen too.

marja