Consumed by Christ's Compassion

    

    

 

Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul still remembers And sinks within me. 21 This I recall to my mind,

  Therefore I have hope.    Through the Lord 's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.  Lam 3:19-21 (NKJV)

 

Through his mercy, we are not consumed!  Praise God.  There are things in life that can consume you.  Things that eat at you like a flesh-eating bacteria.  Worries that won't let go.  Dreams deferred, that cause your heart to sink.  Depression, discouragement despair.  (Have you ever noticed how many negative things start with a "D"?!)  All of these are things that would almost make you think that you will be completely devoured or consumed by the cares of this life. Almost.

 

If it were not for the mercy of God, my life would have a completely different look about it. Everything good, right and joyful that I experience is because of his mercy.  Every horrific end that I avoid is because of his mercy.  It is one of the most defining truths of my life.  Without His mercy, we would all be consumed- by evil, by death, by  torment.

 

His compassion does not fail.  My friends and family may tire of hearing of my distress and woe.  They can take a "same song/different verse" attitude toward my feelings.  But my Heavenly Father just keeps feeling my pain.  He is so connected to me that He is touched by my grief.  My pain, whether real or imagined, matters to Him!  We often like to decide for others how they should feel or how they should view a certain situation.  But the truth of the matter is, if it causes us pain, it is very real to us.  Who can understand us like our Manufacturer?  He has walked with us through every good and bad thing.  Every success and every victory, He either was a participant or witness to it.  He knows why we  have the defense mechanism we do.  He understands the things that color our perspective and our response to situations.  He knows every bit of it, and yet.... rather than be disgusted and fed up, He just loves us.  This is why we, along with Jeremiah, can "recall to mind and therefore have hope."

 

I have walked through some losses in my life, as I am sure you have.  I have found that people's patience with our pain runs out long before we quit hurting.  People want us "fixed" so that we are not a "downer" to them.  It is just human nature.  But it is one of the greatest reasons why we need a Friend that is not carnal and limited to humanity.  We must have a Divine Friend, with the unlimited compassion and agape love that we would be crushed without.  Because he loves us, we are not consumed.   Cast your care on Him.  He loves you so much!

 

 

Dear Lord, I receive your help today. I am a grateful recipient of your mercies and compassion.  O, God, pour into my life that which will sustain me!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri