‘The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord .’ Lamentations 3:19-26(NLT)
‘I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord . Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord , who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand — you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord , well know. I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness. Lord , don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, Lord , rescue me! Come quickly, Lord , and help me.’ Psalms 40:1-13(NLT)
‘Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Shine Brightly for Christ
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.’ Philippians 2:1-13(NLT)
We work hard. We work hard to feed our families, to do our jobs well, to raise our children with good manners and good morals, to take care of our parents, to get just a little in savings, to plan for retirement knowing one day our bodies will start to slow down. We work hard for our neighbors, for our communities, for those who have needs we can help with. And one day, when the sun is bright, and the stock market is up, we might be tempted to pat ourselves on the back and think ‘I’ve got this!’
But we don’t “got this”, do we? We are all one rainy day, one phone call, one pandemic away from rock bottom. Do you know what has a rock bottom? A pit.
We build houses, and skyscrapers, and businesses, and programs, and legacies, and lives, and yet the pit mocks us. It could all be gone in a second. How do we go on?
“… 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.” (Lamentations 3:20-22)
Verse 26 goes on to say “…it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
A pit is a pretty good place to sit quietly. It’s also terrible, and it’s heartbreaking, but as we sit in the quiet, we realize we are not forgotten. This is not the end. A hand reaches out. God is faithful in the midst of our loss.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)
Our feet are once again on solid ground, but we never forget who pulled us up. We are changed. We are humbled. We go back to work, but we hold it all more loosely. As we go, hopefully, we look more like Jesus. We remember that it is God who works in us to fulfill His good purpose. None of it is ours. It never was.
Today as you read, remember the faithfulness of God in your life.
from Fear Not