July 4, 2018 Wednesday July 4^th!

“22  Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24  “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. 27  It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. 28  Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; 29  Let him put his mouth in the dust — There may yet be hope. 30  Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach. 31  For the Lord will not cast off forever. 32  Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. 33  For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.” (Lamentations 3:22-33 NKJV)

            The name of the book of Lamentations causes us to want to pass this book by thinking it will be depressing and sad. But like every book of the Bible we are shown the promise of God’s mercy and compassion.

            Without the Lord we would indeed be consumed by our own lust and by our weakness. The reason we are not consumed is the mercy and compassion of God. It is an amazing statement that the compassion of God will never fail and every morning it is renewed for us.

            There is a warning in this passage in our youth God will place a yoke on us and we are to be silent and learn. We may see the yoke as a burden for us but it is a sign God is with us and helping us grow in our youth.

            But if we do fall away and break off from the yoke God reminds us there is still hope because God’s mercy endures and He does not want to destroy us. When we pull away from God the result will be destruction unless we are willing to come back to God who remembers mercy and allows us to return!

            In this passage do you recognize the foundation to the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”? Are you willing to be yoked with God allowing God to bring us to the place of salvation in ministry? Do you recognize that the troubles in your life could be God’s attempt to call you back or could be for God’s glory?

This may not seem to be an appropriate devotion for July 4^th but it is a reminder if we call upon God and confess our sin God will by mercy forgive us!  Then we can not only ask will “God Bless America” but also does America bless God.