Welcome back to Word Wednesday! I look forward to this day every week. Really digging into Scripture and searching for what stands out, then really giving it some deep thought has been good for me. I hope it’s blessing you as well. This week, we’re looking at Lamentations. Drop down in the comments and share your favorite Lamentations verse or any other thoughts you have, then be ready for Ezekiel next week!
Lamentation 3:22 (NIV)–Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
I love looking up verses in different translations, and I found the Bible in Basic English, done back in the 1940s. In it, this verse reads, “It is through the Lord’s love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.” That makes this verse so much more urgent, doesn’t it? Destroyed is much stronger than consumed, at least to my mind.
Let’s face it, we all deserve hell. I often say, “We could curl each other’s hair if we opened up and told all of our darkest secrets.” Every one of us has that sin we hope no one ever uncovers. The thing is, it’s not just the “big bad” sins that doom us. Our everyday pettiness makes us worth of destruction. Snap judgments, harsh words, little lies, second glances… Even a quick read of Matthew 5 ought to convict each and every one of us. And don’t get me started on the state of our world today (which I thought Dawn addressed very well in her comment on last week’s post).
So why are we still here? Why hasn’t God completely run out of patience, thrown up His hands, and destroyed the lot of us? (Knowing what was coming, why did He even create us in the first place?) Because His mercies never fail. His compassions have no limit. I don’t know about you, but when I look back over my day, that verse strikes a chord in me. God loves me. He is full of mercy toward me. And while He will discipline me when I need it, He will not turn his back on me and consign me to the hottest corner of hell. Do you realize how huge that is? What a gift that is? If you stop right now and really, truly think about what Jesus’ death and resurrection means for you, I’m convinced you’ll be in tears before you get very far. We take that gift for granted way too often.
Oh, Jesus, when I look at my life I know… I know I don’t deserve what I have and I do not have what I deserve. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
-JB
Dawn Lucowitz says
I’m not going to be as deep as my favorite author, Jodie Bailey, this week. I am going super simple, mainly because that’s how my brain prefers to work. Lamentations 3:40 reads, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
I really just love this. It’s telling us to check ourselves. See how we do on our own, and then when we realize what a bad idea that is, we must return to God. The best part about that is that God is there waiting for us and welcomes us back.
I am currently in a study looking at Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love. It’s so simplistic and so profound to me at the same time. It has totally had me re-examine my walk with Christ. It’s been the most convicting thing I’ve read and I really think that’s why this verse struck me this week. That book has me completely and totally examining myself and how I show my love of Christ to others.
Jodie says
If we all examined our ways and tested them and REALLY AND TRULY listened to what God said, we’d all be in a better place. I get so frustrated with myself. I learn it in my head, but I have so much trouble transferring it into my heart and my life.
Bev says
It’s interesting to me that in order to understand mercy, we have to understand our own depravity. We must speak truth to ourselves about ourselves.
Thank you for doing that in your blog today.
As God reveals His truth about us, He then offers His mercy by sending His one and only Son to be TRUTH so that we can be free and live.
We surely do not deserve MERCY but I’m thankful that God is merciful and those mercies are new every morning.
The outgrowth of transformation by the written truth and the living TRUTH, Jesus Christ, is a life of gratitude and love. Love to God and loving others toward His truth.
Thank you for sharing and I’m glad I followed Dawn’s FB link to be reminded of this today.
Jodie says
I’m glad you followed Dawn’s link too, Bev!
Like I said on Dawn’s, I have to work so hard to apply the Word. I can recall and recite, but making it a heart change and a life change is a tough one. Another tough one is understanding my own depravity, like you said. It is so easy to look at the world and say, “At least I’m better than THAT!” when what I really need to do is look at God and say, “Without grace and mercy, I will NEVER measure up to THAT!”
Jen says
I chose the same verse as you this week because it’s always been one of my favorites, but I had an interesting life application when it came time to choose it.
A few weeks ago, I had a lot going on and was just really stressed out and emotional. I ended up taking it out on a friend of mine and did and said some things that were extremely unfair. Not mean exactly, just unnecessary. I felt consumed with guilt for days and very ashamed at how I had acted. But you know what? That friend kept right on loving me anyway. Even before I’d had a chance to apologize, they had forgiven me.
It was the morning after receiving that forgiveness that I came across this verse. And man oh man, did God ever smack me upside the head! If I was so humbled by my friend’s forgiveness after a WEEK of crazy behavior, how much more should I be humbled by God’s mercy after a LIFETIME of craziness? To be honest, I think I’m still chewing on that one….
And on a side note, the index cards on my bathroom mirror indicate this is week 30 of WW. So hard to believe we are almost halfway through this little challenge of yours!! 🙂
Jodie says
I have such a hard time imagining you being unfair. I love, love, love when God makes His voice clear. And wow… thirty weeks?!? That is hard to believe. I stopped counting when we divided Psalms up. That’s cool!