"they fail not..."

Today I am overwhelmed in a good way. If you read my blog from yesterday, you will understand where I am coming from. If you haven't, I think you'll catch on. One thing I love about scripture is that it is alive. By that, I mean God breathed. It says so in the Bible; that's how I know this. I also know this because it can have new meaning for me every time I read it. Yes... it seems much of it was written for a different time period, a different culture. Some can easily dismiss its credibility because of what seems to be.

Truth is, it may have been written over 2000 years ago, in a different time period & culture, but it is timeless. It is written just as much for you & me as it was for those who walked the earth 2000 years ago. Because it is God breathed, I believe it is as alive as the Holy Spirit. It is personal. It speaks to me (sometimes even when I'm not looking). It can be offensive because it convicts & corrects. It can be loving, because it has many words of comfort. It can direct, give wisdom, & the list goes on...

I grew up in a Christian church in Waukegan. Throughout my childhood, I heard the words to a beautiful hymn: Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. Thou changest not thy compassions they fail not. As thou has been, thou forever wilt be. Those words are not in correct order, but they are in the order I remember them from my childhood. As adults all around me belted out the words to this hymn, I stood wide eyed in my pew wondering what they meant.

Recently, as I was preparing for my Small Group Bible Study, I came across the scripture which is the basis for this song. It's in Lamentations. Yesterday's Daily Bible verse was the same verse. I just cannot get it out of my head. I don't want to. Here's my realization. It's not profound, but to me... it's deep because it's a new understanding...

I've always wondered how God can be compassionate yet at the same time allow some of the sorrows & tragedies that occur in our world. I'm sorry, but it puts a lump in my throat thinking about this. So here's what I've realized: As God allows us to go through our trials, in addition to the fact that He sustains us & never leaves us, He provides joy for us along the way. He allows us to learn our lessons, to grow as human beings, but at the same time, He lets us find our deepest treasures.

This reminds me of parenting. As a mom, I love providing sweet surprises for my children. It's so much fun to see their eyes light up when God uses me to bring meaning to their lives or just  bring them  joy. There's honestly nothing better than that. I work to protect my children (even when they are not aware of the things I do on their behalf). I delight in it. It gives me purpose. I cannot wait to do the same for my grandson who's coming into the world soon!

I think I'm only getting a glimpse of what God is doing for me (both in my view & behind the scenes). I've had a very difficult few weeks, yet at the same time, God has renewed me through His beautiful timeless God breathed scripture. I'm intensely aware right now of what the words of that old familiar hymn really mean. I am feeling very loved. I am thankful.