HIS FAITHFUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Hi all,

I’d like to share a couple of thoughts about today’s Scriptures; particularly Psalm 136. These are only thoughts and may well be incorrect. But sometimes it’s worth stimulating thoughts in order to understand more clearly.

In the New International readers Version (NIrV), in Psalm 136, nine times the Psalmist directs us to give thanks. Twenty six times he states that God’s love endures forever. ²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love continues forever. Psalm 136:26 NIrV.

Like the Psalm, no matter how short or long our lives may be, we find God’s steadfast love at the beginning and at the end. We also find that, as is the case in the Psalm, we begin life giving thanks to God. We should end the same way; by giving thanks to God. In between there is life – our life.

A generation is thought of as being ±25 years. It’s only a rough guess. In a family, from the birth of the father to the birth of his son is ±25 years. Now our Psalm has 26 lines. What I like about this is we can see this Psalm applies to every generation! May I suggest that this Psalm also speaks to every individual in every generation? i.e. We are all able to personalise it! We don’t live forever, God does. His faithful love spans all our generations. It also spans each year of each generation. He is faithful – equally faithful to all our generations.

Notice also that the Psalm starts with giving thanks and ends with giving thanks. Furthermore, throughout the Psalm and throughout our lives it is appropriate to give thanks to Him. We should begin life giving Him thanks and no matter how long we live, we need to conclude life giving Him thanks.

Today’s meditation bemoans the fact that our lifespan is limited. Biblically we are allotted 70years. 80 years if we are strong enough. We only have one chance in life. No Matter where we are or what we do, keep in mind that this is not a dress rehearsal. In these few years we determine our eternal destiny. We come into this world naked and leave much the same.

According to Shakespeare; life is “a walking shadow ……. signifying nothing”. But death is not the end! There is life after life. Life with God made possible by Jesus! God planned it before you and I ever saw the light of day. God changes shadows into reality. Furthermore, God is our Creator. He specialises in making something out of nothing. He has a destiny for His people; a destiny that staggers our imagination. So let’s give thanks to Him. His faithful love continues forever!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

His Faithful love Endures forever

We only have one lifetime in which to do it all. A strong man has some eighty years before death comes to call. Our time is very limited. It goes by in a flash. A bit like our athletics in the hundred metres dash. There goes the starter’s pistol and each of us is born. We reach the finish ribbon and from this world we’re torn. We really do not have the time for us to make mistakes. Then we do something stupid and sin within us wakes. That’s when the chance is over to get to God Most High. Our actions have condemned us and we all have to die. Of course we’re disappointed that it all came down to this. But just one little tiny sin and death we cannot miss. We think that it’s “game over” the message tells us “tilt” Then we are very grateful that Jesus’ blood was spilt. It is the one way possible to know the Father’s love. His faithfulness continues and reaches high above. Since Jesus came and paid the price for each and every sin. We now have what is needed for us to enter in. His love endures forever. He will not let us down. The Lord gave me His righteousness and lets me wear a crown. He’s overlooked rebellion and wickedness in me It’s by His grace He does this and it is ours for free. The cost to us was nothing. But grace is never cheap. It’s by His endless mercy His blessings we may reap. It cost the Saviour everything. He even had to die. He suffered for our sinfulness and here’s the reason why. Mankind was truly helpless. We couldn’t get away. We were the slaves of Satan. With him we had to stay. Just because our ancestor did what he shouldn’t do! All of his successors had fallen with him too. But Christ knew all about it before the worlds were made. His cross was predetermined; the foundation was laid, For Him to come and rescue us and be our Great High Priest. And He could be the Saviour of the greatest and the least. So even in our sufferings, when we had lost all hope, He knew what He was doing and was certain He could cope! And so he brought us comfort; our greatest fears allayed. And by His willing sacrifice, our debt to God was paid. Jim Strickland  Written Wednesday 21st March 2012.