Today I want to share with you what I know to be an amazing truth. It’s something I read this morning in a devotional. Actually, I think it’s pretty profound…
“A person who has experienced great difficulties will not be easily parted from his/her Bible.”
I’ll say it again…”A person who has experienced great difficulties will not be easily parted from his/her Bible.” Can you say Amen to that?
I certainly can say Amen to that! God’s Word has been, and most definitely is my lifeline. There are some tear-stained pages in my Bible…Some that were caused from joyful tears, and even more that were caused from sorrow and grief. Tears of joy, sometimes overwhelming, streamed down my cheeks when I realize how far God has brought this girl, who was so very rough around the edges, into a relationship with Him. God saw me as a beautiful diamond in the rough, He miraculously transformed me, and now He calls me His friend. That alone blows me away.
I can never forget the sorrow and grief, but God in His wisdom has used both of those things to build my character and make me strong. No, I can never say that “I have arrived,” to arrive in Jesus’ arms is a lifelong process. Let me share a scripture from the book of Lamentations with you. It’s hanging on my fridge. I’ve dissected this scripture, and I have eaten the words. Lamentations is a book about sorrow and grief. Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah, who was known as “the weeping prophet.” He wrote the book of Lamentations because of the sorrow that was so deep inside of him when his people, the Israelites, were taken from their homeland into captivity in Babylon. I’m giving you the Lori Laws’ paraphrased version because my Bible is not handy…
“I will never forget this awful time as I grieve over my loss. Yet, I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord lasts forever! Because of His mercies we are kept from complete destruction. His mercies are new everyday. Although He brings sorrow, He also shows compassion according to the greatness of His unfailing love.” Lamentations 3: 20-23
I’m sure that many of you, like me, can so much relate to grieving over a loss. But Jeremiah takes a bold, yet confident stand by saying that he dares to hope! And then he acknowledges that things could be much worse, but because of the mercy of God, they are not totally destroyed……………….are you getting this? When I think about, “God’s mercies are new everyday,” I think of how He gives me something awesome to write about everyday…and I’m sure you can think of how God’s mercies affect you personally everyday as well. Then he assures us that God will step in, and show us His compassion!
Wow! Now that’s awesome!