Oct. 10, 2023
Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.
The scripture is from Lamentations 3:20-23 “My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s loving kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”
The devotion is titled Let Grief Do Its Work by John Michalak. To sum up this devotion, John starts this devotion with the example of Israel turning away from God and the consequence of their act. Lamentations reveals the importance of grief. Grief has a purpose and needs tome to do its work. Israel lamented over their turning away from God. Like Israel, our reliance on God’s grace it most honestly pursued through a heart of true repentance. Like Israel, if we don’t truly grieve the consequences of turning away from God, how can we truly surrender ourselves to God and benefit from His great faithfulness? John remind us that only God can turn our grief into hope.
Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Have you ever tried to rush through grief or regret when you sin? Will you ask God for strength to experience true regret when you sinned against Him and a heart to renew your hope in Him?
Here is my response, yours may be different: After I turned my life over to Christ, I committed two gravely sins. I regretted both of these incidents and prayed to God for forgiveness and to restore my relationship with Him.
My Personal Prayer for us: Dear Lord, give us strength borne of our grief. Make us genuinely repentant and aware of Your infinite compassion, so we can enjoy the hope of Yor saving grace. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen
Inspirations (2023/10/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Let Grief Do Its Work by John Michalak.