Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
When I was a parent and my kids were younger, I used to drive on vacations and I'd want to try to help my children see the world through a Christian worldview. I'd say, "Hey, kids, look at the sun. Who made the sun?" And they would say, "God." I’d say, "Kids, who made the clouds?" Of course they would say, "God." I tried to grow their view of God. One of my professors once said to build your view of God so that we can relate to Him in so many different ways.
Four Truths About God's Character
Our passage today talks about the beauty of the attributes of God, and the beauty of God Himself. Our Verse of the Day is Lamentations chapter 3, verses 22 and 23. "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning."
What a passage! I mean, these are four truths that really show the astounding character of God very simply. Let's look at them quickly.
Number one, God's forever loving. Right from the passage, "The faithful love of the LORD never ends." Think about that. He's forever loving.
Secondly, He has infinite mercy. His mercies never, and they never cease. That's hard for us to comprehend. One of my children really struggles with the infinitude of God. I think I still do. The fact that God is forever, He's never started, He doesn't have an ending. He's always been here. Secondly, He's infinite in mercy.
Thirdly, His faithfulness is great. I love the hymn, "Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, to me.” This hymn is filled with tremendous truths. It reiterates that His faithfulness is great.
Mercies Designed for You
Finally, I love this. Paul David Tripp says this in his book: His form-fitted mercies. The text says His mercies begin afresh each morning. Another version says His mercies are new every morning. What do I mean by form-fitted mercies? Think about this. You can't lose in this Christian life. Why? Because God's mercies are around every situation that you deal with. I just got off a plane last night. I had “plane-flying mercies,” if you will. Maybe you are studying for a test. You can have studying mercies. Maybe you're having issues in your marriage, and you have marriage mercies. Or you're a parent and you have parenting mercies. Maybe you're anxious. The mercies of God, they're form-fitted for our lives.
Maybe you're going on a cruise and you have cruise mercies. Whatever it is, mercies touch every single area of your life and mine. They're comprehensive. Think about that. Whatever you deal with in your life, the mercies of God are new every morning. Right now, I need these mercies to help me communicate with you in a way that hopefully encourages you. I didn't need these yesterday, but tomorrow, there's going to be new mercies waiting there for us. I love Psalm chapter 23, verse 6. "Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." If you're a born-again Christian, if you know Christ, these mercies are available to you now.
Living in Light of God's Mercies
Very quickly, what do we learn from this passage? Number one, thank God for who He is. Thank God He's great in mercy. He has infinite mercy. He's forever loving. He has great faithfulness and He has form-fitted mercies for us.
Secondly, throw yourself into serving God. If we have all these form-fitted mercies, then whatever we come into or whatever that's in front of us, we can know that the mercies of God are there waiting to help us. God is a burden-bearing God, and these mercies for everything you can think of are form-fitted for you and for me. Throw yourself into living for God, because His mercies, they're comprehensive for us.
Finally, let's trust Him. I just told you all these things about the character of God. Numerous times today, it's the afternoon hour right now, numerous times that I've confessed to the Lord already today, I haven't believed in the way I should have and trusted in the way I should. I should have more faith in these things, whatever it might be. Let's trust Him, because He's faithful and He promises to have form-fitted mercies for us forever.
