THE GOD WHO NEVER FAILS

LAMENTATIONS 3:2

A. "IT IS OF THE LORD'S MERCIES THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED BECAUSE HIS COMPASSION FAILETH NOT; THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS"
  1. This is the kind of statement that gives the Bible a unique and unrivaled place among books:
    1. Born out of personal experience the words of our text are a man's testimony to God's grace and faithfulness
    2. He realized that had it not been for the grace and faithfulness of a compassionate God, he would never have survived the trials that came to him in his ministry
  2. This is the universal testimony of God's suffering children:
    1. They know that only the grace of God enables them to endure the cross and despise the shame
    2. Only God's daily renewal of grace and strength to us makes us bear our burdens and do our work faithfully B. LET US CONSIDER, PRAYERFULLY, A NUMBER OF IMPLICATIONS SO POETICALLY STATED IN OUR TEXT
  3. First, the text suggests that he learned to live a day at a time:
    1. It was, doubtless, a difficult lesson to learn
    2. Man;s plans are, usually, so inclusive that they are not limited to a day, nay, they cover weeks, months and years - James 4:13-16; Luke 12:16-20
    3. The art of living a day at a time is one we all must learn
    4. Our Saviour was fully cognizant to our weakness and admonished us, "Take no thought for tomorrow" - Matt. 6:25, 28, 31, 34
  4. Secondly, the testimony of our opening text shows that He learned to leave the future to God:
    1. "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" Prov. 27:1
    2. Only God knows and controls the future and He alone determines our future - Luke 12:20; James 4:15; Heb. 6:3; I Cor. 16:7
  5. Best of all, the testimony of our opening text shows that he learned that God is perfectly able to meet any situation that might arise:
    1. He learned to trust God's omnipotence
    2. "Nothing is too hard for Thee" - Jer. 32:17; Job 42:2; Num. 11:23; Is. 50:2 C. A TIMELY MESSAGE FOR US THIS MORNING
  6. Experience is a great teacher of great and saving truths:
    1. Time seems to have a way of making impressions on us in one way or another - "Time will tell"
    2. The blessedness of it all is that experience helps us to lean on God and not upon our own understanding
    3. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding" - Prov. 3:5; 23:4
  7. It will be of great benefit t our spiritual life:
    1. To learn to live a day at a time - make all our plans accordingly
    2. "As thy days so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25
    3. "Today if ye hear His voice" - Heb. 3:7
    4. "Take no thought for tomorrow" - Matt. 6:30
  8. The wonderful knowledge that should cast away all our fears and give us rest in our soul is the knowledge:
    1. Of God's faithfulness; He never forgets either our needs or His promises to meet our needs
    2. Writes Paul, "He is faithful that promised - Heb. 10:23; I Cor. 1:9; I Thes. 5:24
    3. If only, we would not forget our promises, and would not disappoint God and our fellowmen
    4. It would be good for each of us to be able to say with Paul, "He counted me faithful" - I Tim. 1:12
    5. "Be faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life" - Rev. 2:10
    6. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much" - Luke 16:10


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