Finding Hope in the Unshakable Character of God

 

Psalms 31:16

Let your favor shine on your servant. 

    In your unfailing love, rescue me.

Lamentations 3:22-23

The faithful love of the lord never ends! 

    His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness; 

    his mercies begin afresh each morning.

James 1:12

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

1 Peter 1:4

and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

Finding Hope in the Unshakable Character of God 🌅

When Life Feels Unsteady, God Is Still Faithful

Good morning, friends!

The mornings are getting cooler here in Maine, and somehow that cooler air seems to remind me that seasons are always changing. Some changes are welcome, and some are not. Life can feel that way too.

There are seasons when everything seems to be going along just fine, and then there are seasons when we find ourselves wondering, “Lord, what are You doing? How are we going to get through this?”

I think most of us know what it feels like to stand somewhere between the reality of today's struggles and the hope that tomorrow will be better.

But there is something we can hold onto when everything around us feels uncertain:

God's character does not change.

Our circumstances may change. Our health may change. Our finances may change. People may change. Our plans may change.

But God remains God.

His love is steady. His mercy is renewed. His faithfulness never runs out.

And sometimes we discover just how dependable God is in the simplest things.

Today, I was up at 4:00 in the morning packing things up to go to church and make soup for our Food Cupboard. I made two gallons. I really thought that was a LOT of soup! 😂

When the Food Cupboard opened, I offered the soup to the folks who came in.

It was gone in about fifteen minutes!

I stood there thinking, “Well, there goes my plan to bring some home for supper!” 😂

But honestly, my heart was smiling.

I had the privilege of feeding that many people simply because I enjoy making soup and I enjoy serving others. For me, it was the perfect combination.

Next month, I'm going to try three gallons and see if we can feed even more people!

Sometimes we don't realize how much something as simple as a pot of soup can mean to someone else.

And maybe that's part of what God is teaching us every day.

We don't have to have everything figured out. We just have to be willing to put what we have into His hands.

God's Face and His Steadfast Love

Psalm 31:16 says:

“Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”

When David cries out, “Make your face shine,” he is asking God to turn His attention toward him.

The Hebrew word paniyim means “face” or “presence.” The picture is beautiful: David isn't simply asking God to fix a problem. He is asking God to look toward him.

Have you ever needed that?

Not necessarily an answer.

Not necessarily a miracle right that minute.

Just the assurance that God sees you.

That He hasn't forgotten you.

That He is still there.

David also speaks of God's “unfailing love,” or chesed.

This is one of those Hebrew words that is difficult to fit into just one English word. It carries the idea of God's faithful, loyal, covenant love.

In other words, God's love isn't here today and gone tomorrow.

It isn't dependent upon whether we had a good day or messed everything up.

God doesn't stop being faithful just because life gets messy.

And goodness knows, Ross and I have had some messy seasons.

We've had seasons where we've wondered how we were going to make it through the next thing in front of us. We've learned that sometimes faith doesn't look like having all the answers.

Sometimes faith simply says,

“God, I don't know what You're doing, but I know You are still here.”

New Mercy Every Morning

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us:

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

These words were written in the middle of tremendous suffering. Jeremiah wasn't sitting in a comfortable chair having a peaceful morning with everything going his way.

He was looking at the destruction around him.

And yet he could still say, “Great is his faithfulness.”

That speaks to me.

Because sometimes we think we have to wait until everything is better before we can praise God.

But Jeremiah shows us that we can praise Him right in the middle of the mess.

The Hebrew word racham is connected to deep compassion and tenderness. It gives us a picture of a God who doesn't simply stand far away and watch us hurt.

He cares.

He sees our pain.

He moves toward us with compassion.

And then Jeremiah reminds us that God's mercies are new every morning.

I love that.

Every morning.

Not every Monday.

Not when we finally get our act together.

Every morning.

That means when we wake up tomorrow, God's mercy won't be yesterday's leftovers.

It will be fresh.

Just like the manna God provided for His people in the wilderness, He gives us what we need for the day in front of us.

And His faithfulness, emunah, carries the idea of firmness, stability, and faithfulness.

When everything else feels shaky, God is steady.

Sometimes Faith Means Staying Under the Load

James 1:12 says:

**“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

I love the picture James gives us here.

The Greek word hupomeno means to remain, endure, or stay under something.

It doesn't mean we enjoy the trial.

It doesn't mean we pretend it doesn't hurt.

And it certainly doesn't mean we never get tired.

It means that with God's help, we don't give up.

Sometimes victory isn't about running away from the hard thing.

Sometimes victory is simply saying,

“Lord, give me the strength to stand here one more day.”

One more day.

One more prayer.

One more step.

One more act of kindness.

One more time choosing faith instead of fear.

God sees every one of those steps.

James also uses the idea of being tested and approved. Like precious metal that passes through the fire, our faith can become stronger when it has been tested.

The fire isn't pleasant.

But God can use even difficult seasons to shape us, strengthen us, and draw us closer to Him.

And then comes the promise of the crown of life.

The Greek word stephanos referred to a victor's crown or wreath.

It reminds us that the race we're running has a finish line.

Our struggles do not have the final word.

God does.

What God Has Reserved for Us

Peter gives us another reason to hope.

1 Peter 1:4 tells us that we have:

“an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

Think about that for a moment.

Everything we have here on earth is temporary.

Cars wear out.

Houses need repairs.

Money comes and goes.

Our bodies grow older.

Plans change.

But what God has prepared for His children is not temporary.

Peter describes our inheritance as something that cannot perish, cannot be spoiled, and cannot fade away.

It is secure.

It is being kept for us.

That means our hope isn't based on how good today looks.

Our hope is based on Who holds tomorrow.

And that's where I want my heart to rest.

Not in what I can see.

Not in what I can control.

Not in whether everything goes according to my plans.

But in the hands of a faithful God.

So What Do We Do With This Today?

Maybe you're going through a difficult season right now.

Maybe you're waiting for an answer.

Maybe you're worried about someone you love.

Maybe you're tired.

Maybe you're wondering how you're going to keep going.

Friend, hear this today:

God sees you.

His face is turned toward you.

His chesed—His steadfast love—has not changed.

His racham—His tender compassion—is still with you.

His emunah—His faithfulness—is still steady.

And when you feel like you can't take another step, He can give you strength to hupomeno—to remain, endure, and keep going.

You don't have to understand everything today.

You don't have to solve everything today.

You just need to trust the One who already knows the beginning, the middle, and the end.

And remember my two gallons of soup.

I thought I had made plenty.

God had a different plan.

He used every bit of it to bless people who needed it.

And instead of having soup left over for myself, I went home with something much better:

a heart full of joy because God allowed me to be part of feeding His children.

Sometimes God takes what we think is “enough” and shows us that it can be used for so much more.

So today, let's give Him what we have.

Our time.

Our talents.

Our resources.

Our prayers.

Our struggles.

Our worries.

Our very lives.

And then let's watch what He can do with them.

A Prayer for Today 🙏

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being our steady place when everything around us feels uncertain.

Thank You for Your steadfast love that never lets go, Your tender mercy that meets us every morning, and Your faithfulness that never changes.

Lord, when we are tired, give us strength.

When we are afraid, give us courage.

When we don't understand, give us faith.

When we feel alone, remind us that You are right there with us.

Help us not to focus so much on what is happening around us that we forget Who is holding us.

Teach us to trust You with the things we cannot control.

Use the little things we have—our time, our hands, our words, our gifts, and our love—to bless somebody else today.

Help us remember that sometimes a simple act of kindness, a bowl of soup, a phone call, a prayer, or a smile can be exactly what someone needs.

And when we walk through trials, help us keep standing.

Help us keep believing.

Help us keep obeying.

Help us keep loving.

Because we know that You are faithful, and our future is safely held in Your hands.

Thank You for new mercy this morning.

Thank You for another day.

Thank You for the promise that our story does not end with today's struggles.

We place our lives, our families, our worries, and our tomorrows into Your loving hands.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen. 🙏❤️

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power,

And the glory,

Forever and ever.

Amen. 🙏

🌅 Today, Remember:

God's love is steadfast.

His mercy is fresh.

His faithfulness is unchanging.

Your trials are temporary.

Your inheritance is eternal.

Whatever you're facing today, don't give up.

Put what you have in God's hands and let Him decide what He can do with it.

Maybe it's two gallons of soup.

Maybe it's three next time. 😂

Maybe it's simply a willing heart.

God can use it all.

Believe Him.

Trust Him.

Follow Him.

And keep moving forward one day at a time.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED!

AMEN.

BOBBA ❤️

Love, Penny 💛 

##Godisgood #faith #devotional