Pastor John,
Michelle’s email goes along with what I am reading in Lamentations. (See blog 6/14/2015, His Mercy). This morning I was reading from chapter 3, and I really wasn’t looking forward to it because chapters 1 and 2 were so hard, and so sad – God was very wrath with Judah. But chapter 3 is where the light starts to shine in and there is a kindle of hope! Verse 22 and 23 are my all time favorites. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness”. All those verses around there are very good, but v 22 is the best: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed”. It makes me agree with Michelle and think how it always His mercy that we are kept safe and not harmed, and it was of His mercy that none of us were harmed by the shark, and that Sammy’s condition was not much, much worse.
But also, this time I noticed v 31 “For the Lord will not cast off forever”. Oh my! I love that! It brought to mind a time way back, when I was about 23. I did something the Lord was extremely displeased about – it was not a “sin”, but I knew the Lord was displeased. I believe I had really offended God in a way. After that episode was over I could not feel the Lord anymore. I felt very much like He’d turned his back. This went on for about 6mo or more. Finally, I was feeling so bad at not being able to find him anymore, and knowing my prayers were not going up. I felt like I was in a dry, arid desert. I called out to Him with all my heart and said, “Lord, I am in a desert. If you don’t help me I will die. Please help me. I’m sorry”. Then I made some things right – some things I’d just been careless about. And I sought the Lord again, and found him again. The Lord did not cast me off forever. I love His mercy, and am very thankful for His mercy on me.
Jenny