WAITING with hope – Intro Lesson 9 – Nov. 13 – 20

It’s easy to sing the beloved and famous hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, when life is going smoothly, isn’t it? The reality of God’s compassion and mercy is very clear to us during those periods of time and we are able to express our gratefulness to the Lord from morning to evening. However, what do you do when things look bleak? Sometimes we are prepared for really sad news, serious illness, economic disaster, or a broken relationship, but often it comes as a shock and a huge and devastating disappointment? What songs come to your mind then?

When Jeremiah, God’s prophet to the people of Israel, wrote about the suffering of his people as well as his own lament, he said, “Peace has been stripped away and I have forgotten what prosperity is. Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” (Lamentations 3: 17 – 18) He very clearly expressed his despair and grief, but aren’t you thankful that he didn’t stop there?   He went on to say, “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!” He reminded himself that every day God would be his salvation. There would be new mercies from the Lord each new morning. God’s blessings are never early or late. His unfailing love comes to those who wait quietly and submit to His will and His ways.

It is in the unhurried moments and minutes of life, as we wait on Him, that Jesus most often comes to us with His presence and His reassurance that His mercies will never cease. It is in the stillness that we discover that our hope is in Him alone. It is as we quietly trust in His love that we can join in and sing, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God MY Father.   Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto ME!”

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