GREENE STREET LETTERS: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-24

Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion,"says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him."

This is one of my most favorite picture that I have ever taken. It was early one fall morning last year, a little before 5 a.m. The star you see in the picture was extremely bright and was the only thing in the early morning sky. It was a reminder to me of the verses from Lamentations.

Each day has troubles of its own, but God's compassion's and mercies have already been made available to those who cry out for them. I don't mind telling you that I use my daily amount of mercy and compassion.

The LORD is our portion (Vicki and me).
We have staked 36 years on this rock solid fact.
Seeking His Kingdom and righteousness, we have seen God add to us the blessings He has for us. Not all blessing take the form of material things. I want my vision to see beyond the material. I want to see the hand of God moving and touching the corner of this world he has called me to. I want to see God in the smallest of things. I think here, in the small things, is where you can find the compassions and mercies of God.

I find them in telephone calls from people that you haven't heard from in years. They just had you on their mind and wanted to call and let you know they were still clean and sober and chasing God.

I find them in verses that seem to leap off the page of the Bible. You may have read that particular verse dozens of times, yet you find new meaning in it for today. It becomes a part of you that you take around with you for the day. It changes the way you think and feel about God. What a present.

He is such a wonderful LORD!

2 comments:

Bobby said...: I'm thankful for God's mercy. Seeing God in the small things is the best way to live. It keeps us sane!; September 19, 2008 at 9:38 PM
Lane said...: Great word Michael...I need grace and mercy 'just for today'.

Lane; September 20, 2008 at 10:44 AM

Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2 comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD