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7/31/2019 Being Thankful for the Faithfulness of God
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Being Thankful for the Faithfulness of God
Scripture Thought for the Week: Because of the Lords great love we are not
consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your
faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
As we enter the month of November our thoughts naturally focus on the upcoming holiday
of Thanksgiving. Where will we be celebrating? What casseroles or desserts will we need
to prepare? Should we host the event this year? These questions are among the most
asked as our thoughts revolve on gathering around the table and feasting on our favorite
foods. Are we finding a few moments to truly be thankful for the previous years
blessings? Do we take the time to count our blessings and more importantly, naming them
one by one?
The book of Lamentations deals with the destruction of Jerusalem. Authorship has been
bestowed upon the prophet, Jeremiah, who was an eyewitness of the disaster inflicted by
the Babylonian army. The book reads as a funeral poem due to the grief Jeremiah bears
upon seeing the fall of his beloved homeland. Not exactly what one would deem
appropriate thanksgiving devotional material; however, the scripture referenced above was
found within the pages of this story. As I turned the pages of my Bible to the requested
verses, I saw that the verses were already marked in my Bible. Lamentations isnt a book
of the Bible you readily turn to read, so I looked closer at the verses and their message.
Tucked within this book whose meaning includes the words, to wail, to cry out in grief,
to mourn aloud, I found a nugget of treasure. I found hope.
Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my
portion; therefore I will wait for him. Lamentations 3:22-23
In the midst of trial and tribulation, with his homeland of Jerusalem falling into the hands
of the enemy, Jeremiah still remembered that God embodies hope for his children. God is
still in control of the situations of life. Life is full of ups and downs, bumps and
disappointments and uncontrollable events of nature. There are times when we wail, cryout in grief and mourn out loud, but God does hear every sound we make. To soothe and
minister to our brokenness, God wraps us in his love so we are not consumed in our times of
grief. Tucked within lament, as written in Lamentations, bursts forth a song of praise
which has been penned in a well known hymn entitled, Great is Thy Faithfulness.
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Written by Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960), reflect on the scripture penned by Jeremiah
from which this song was given life and realize how much God loves and cares for his
children as we walk lifes journey.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain.
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
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As we prepare in the coming weeks for the feast of Thanksgiving, lets concentrate more
fully on exactly what the concept of being thankful truly means. Ask the Lord to lead you
to an individual that needs to be shown what hope looks like and enable you to be that
answer to prayer to one in need remembering, All I have needed they hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Father God, thank you for your amazing faithfulness. Thank you for inspiring
individuals like Thomas Chisholm who wrote songs that transcends the ages to lift us
in times of grief, wailing and crying out loud. God, you are so good to us. May we
search Your Word continually to discover nuggets of strength to comfort us and give
hope in which we may spread to others on our journey. In Jesus name, Amen.
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