His Mercies are NEW every morning

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26

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What does that verse mean to you? To me it means that every day the past is wiped away and I get a new chance at living and receiving an abundant measure of God’s grace.

The understanding of Lamentations 3:22-26 FIRST has to be coupled with Romans 12, where it talks about transforming your mind. I talked about this in a previous blog “The Mind Of Christ: Thinking about Thinking)
(https://livelifeoutloudforgod.com/2014/09/25/the-mind-of-christ-thinking-about-thinking/)

If we do not purpose to have our mind renewed by the washing of the word of God, by focusing our thoughts on God and who HE is, there’s NO WAY that we are going to receive the fullness of the “New Mercies” that are promised to us every day. We will end up thinking about the past and the struggles we have gone through along with the things that maybe tormenting us in the present. God is faithful and He will never leave us, but it is very hard to feel His Love and Grace when we are only focused on all the bad in our lives.

Today, allow God to bring you new mercy, grace, strength and comfort. His word is true…..”For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.

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My heart is breaking for the innocent

I have some very precious people in my life who are going through the most gross darkness of pain for innocence that has been lost and indescribable pain. I know God is close to them and I pray for mercy, grace, peace and his tangible love to surround them. This Scripture is ringing loud in my ears tonight.

Psalm 37:18-19 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times;even in famine they will have more than enough. IMG_3547.JPG

Where does my help come from?

There are times in life when nothing makes sense. Times when you are so desperate the only place to turn is God and His Word.

Then you see the stupidity and depravity of humanity…..Just today I saw a news article where two parents gave their kid dope in its bottle just to watch its reactions. Tragically the baby died. Or when you hear about a child being molested by their own family member. God have mercy on that child and the family that was destroyed because of erroneous actions. Or to the person who is falsely accused for something that never happened and now sits in prison with no hope in sight.

BUT GOD!!! I have to believe that despite all that we don’t understand, God is good. His character never changes. He is a God of Purity, Truth, Justice, Peace and Love. I believe in the infallible God breathed Word of God, the Holy Bible. However, there are so many scriptures when we are walking through a deep valley that are very hard to understand.

God is timeless. He always was and always will be. When we read the Word we have to keep in mind that it was written for us in the perspective of our whole life. When you read through Psalms 121, when you are hurt, you might say “this didn’t work for me”. BUT again, God said His “Word wont return void, it accomplishes what it sets out to do. ”

That is where faith and trust comes in. We need to hold on to the character of God. Hold on to the fact when he said, “He will never leave us or forsake us.” That he will. He can not lie. It is impossible.

If you are walking through a dark valley, know that “He who began a good work in you WILL complete it.” He will give you a “peace that surpasses all your understanding and will guard your heart and mind”. We don’t have to understand why, we just need to know where to get a hug and receive the only hope that will last for eternity.

Weeping may last for a night BUT Joy comes in the morning. Hang on, find people to pray and support you. Nothing compares to finding a solid church family you can trust.

You don’t have to walk through this alone!!

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Expectations are a killer- But its doesn’t have to effect you

Just a little wisdom from someone who has dealt with expectations from others.

Expectations lead to your finger pointed at others when they do not behave the way we expect and want. We can not control other people’s thoughts, feelings or actions but we can control OURS! Love and unity is a choice that we give to others despite if our expectations have been met or not. Do not let the enemy rob you of pure love in your relationships! It is something we have to walk out daily. It is not easy, but it is worth it! –    Rachelle Layzell

 

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