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Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Lamentations 3:21-22 (NLT)
Jeremiah walked the streets of Jerusalem in agony. He saw homeless children who had become orphans due to war, now dying in the streets of starvation. He saw the elderly looking lost, confused and yearning for the days when they lived in prosperity, but now lived in hopelessness.
In the midst of the national horror, he’d experienced huge personal loss as well. He was verbally and physically abused by those he tried to help. He was all alone and in despair he cried out to God, but it seemed that even God Himself had turned a deaf ear to his pleas. Everything that he considered sacred and secure had either been destroyed or taken from him. He was alone, brokenhearted and saw no hope.
As Jeremiah looked around and took stock of what he was seeing, he was reminded of one thing that had remained constant throughout his ordeal; his faith in a God that loved him and had shown himself faithful in years past. It was the hope that he had in God that helped Jeremiah see that even in the direst of situations God still was in control.
Later, in chapter three he writes: “For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.” (Vss. 31-33)
Hundreds of years later Jesus would teach us the same truth in the story of the Prodigal Son. As the young man sat hopelessly in a pile of pig slop with no money, no hope and no friends, he remembered his father. He remembered home. Pulling himself out of the slop he returned to the one place he knew there would be acceptance, love and compassion. The arms of his father.
So it is with us today.
No matter what you have done in your past to separate you from God, you can always come home.
No matter how much debt you have and how hopeless your financial state, you can always come home.
No matter what consequences of poor choices you carry with you, you can always come home.
No matter what relational turmoil you are in, even if it is a result of your actions, you can always come home.
No matter what abuse you have suffered emotionally, physically or spiritually, you can always come home.
No matter how long you have rejected His call in the past, you can always come home.
Your Heavenly Father longs to have a passionate love relationship with you. He is not concerned about your past. He is not worried about your future. He can help you with present struggles. When you see no light in the darkness; no hope in the midst of despair; no comfort in the midst of your pain. Jesus urges you to come home and rest in His loving arms.
PRAYER: Father God. I look at myself and the mess I’ve made of things and am embarrassed to have to come to you time and again for forgiveness. I am under attack by those who constantly attack me verbally, emotionally and physically and struggle to find ways to carry on. I contemplate the future and fear for myself, my children and my grandchildren. I ask today that you would empower me to rest in your arms of everlasting arms. I can’t do this without you. Amen.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
Worry. It’s one of the greatest crippling influences of lives. The dictionary defines worry as “Tormenting oneself with or to suffer from disturbing thoughts.” There is NOTHING positive about worry and it does nothing healthy for our lives!
In a recent survey researchers discovered that 92% of the things people worry about either never happen, have happened in the past or are out of our control. That means that only 8% of the things we worry about are things that we have any hope of changing, and worrying about them won’t change a thing.
One day Jesus was teaching on a mountain top. I imagine that as people listened to His teaching they were enjoying the fresh mountain air. There were flowers nearby and birds soaring above. Jesus, the master teacher, used the moment to teach us a valuable truth. “Look around,” He said. “Look at the flowers. Do they worry about what their clothes look like? Do the birds concern themselves with having storage barns and cupboards full of food for the future?” We might add, do animals worry about retirement funds and 401K’s and their children’s college fund? The answer to all the above is a resounding “NO, of course not!”
As followers of Jesus Christ we need to constantly remind ourselves that we don’t need to worry about tomorrow. It’s not easy to admit, but often the things we worry about are a result of a lack of true belief in who we serve. If we serve a God that is like an angry, abusive or apathetic father, then we have reason for concern. We are on our own.
If however, we serve a God that is a loving, responsible, caring father we have nothing to fear. As a Loving Father He sees to our needs, encourages us in our weakness and forgives us when we fail. Someone once said, “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.”
Don’t allow yourself to be tormented by the thoughts of what could have been or what might be. Focus instead on the fact that you have a Loving Heavenly Father who wants to give you the best life can offer. Grow closer to Him in your walk through daily prayer, bible reading and fellowship with Christ honoring believers. The things of your past can be forgiven simply by asking. The future is in the hands of a Loving Heavenly Father. Ask for wisdom on your part in following Him today.
Title: Overheard in an Orchard
Said the Robin to the Sparrow, “I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings; Rush about and hurry so.”
Said the Sparrow to the Robin, “Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father; Such as cares for you and me.”
— Elizabeth Cheney
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you today that you know my past and my future. I acknowledge that I believe you are willing to walk with me every day and that you know my tomorrows. Help me to have the strength to forget my past and the wisdom to face the future. Give me the power to deal with today and leave the rest in your hands. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 