DEPTH OF MERCY!

 

Friday, May 22, 2026

 

DEPTH OF MERCY!

 

Gen 50:15-17

15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

 

          Warren Wiersbe, in his Bible Exposition Commentary, has such a wonderful comment on this portion of Scripture that I would like to simply include it here without further comment.

 

Afraid to approach Joseph personally, they sent a message to him, hoping to convince him. Did Jacob actually speak the words they quoted? Probably not. If Jacob had wanted to intercede for the guilty sons, he could easily have done it when he was alone with Joseph. And he had seventeen years in which to do it! It's likely that the brothers concocted this story, hoping that Joseph's love for his father would give him a greater love for his brothers.

 

How did Joseph respond to their message? "When their message came to him, Joseph wept" (v. 17). He was deeply hurt that his own brothers didn't believe his words or accept his kind deeds at face value as true expressions of his love and forgiveness. What more could he have done to convince them? Charles Wesley may have had Joseph and his brothers in mind when he wrote his hymn "Depth of Mercy".

 

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear —

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

 

Now incline me to repent;

Let me now my sins lament;

Now my foul revolt deplore,

Weep, believe and sin no more.

 

There for me the Saviour stands,

Holding forth His wounded hands;

God is love! I know, I feel,

Jesus weeps and loves me still.

 

Dear Lord, your mercy is, in our thinking, so unbelievable that we need constant reassuring. Help us to rest in the depth of your mercy today. AMEN

 

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

 

Thursday, May 21, 2026

 

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

Jer 31:3 

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. 

 

                Have you ever considered how often and in how many ways God expressed His love? The Bible is full of expressions of love and examples of His kindness. Jaimeson-Fausset-Brown comments on our verse above this way: “Israel gratefully acknowledges in reply to God’s past grace; but at the same time tacitly implies by the expression “of old,” that God does not appear to her now. “God appeared to me of old, but now I am forsaken!” God replies, Nay, I love thee with the same love now as of old. My love was not a momentary impulse, but from “everlasting” in My counsels, and to “everlasting” in its continuance.

 

                When Adam and Eve learned of their nakedness, God clothed them with a sacrifice. When Lot’s family chose a wicked city, God rescued them from ruin. Even Lot’s wife was rescued although she made a fatal decision to reject that rescue. Luk 17:32 “Remember Lot's wife.” Rom_5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The admiration of beauty is easy but true love disregards flaws.

 

Eph_5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

Dear Lord, let me love like Jesus loved. AMEN

 

BE NOT FAR FROM ME!

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

 

BE NOT FAR FROM ME!

 

Ps 35:22

O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

 

Acts 17:25-28

…he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being…

 

The most difficult times for me are those times when God seems far away. Oh, I know with my mind that He is everywhere and that He is near, even in my heart, but there are times when I need Him so badly to be within reach. I need to sense His presence, and I need to hear his voice. Like a child who pillows his head on his mother’s breast I need to feel His breath on my cheek. Many are the times when my soul cries out to God, for the comfort of His presence.

 

Many are the songs that have been written and sung about our human longing for the divine. “Abide with me” is one and “Nearer my God to Thee” is another. These songs remind us of the great gulf that sin has now fixed between us and our God. Yet our very soul was made for the same fellowship with Him that Adam enjoyed in the cool of the evening.

 

Job deeply felt the absence of God although God was every moment observing his calamity. It may seem cruel to us, but God had set in motion a test for Job that would put Satan to open shame. Job was required to remain faithful to an absentee God. So, it seems often to us. We feel that we must walk the trail of tears alone, yet God is there and He will arrive just in time.

 

Ps 56:3

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

 

Dear Lord, I know with my head that Thou art there, but my spirit needs Thee now. Be not far from me. AMEN

 

COMMENCEMENT TIME

 

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

 

COMMENCEMENT TIME

 

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

          It’s commencement time! Some have already graduated while others wait to turn their rings and tassels. Both pride and uncertainty excite and energize them. Questions about the future hang heavily in the air like moisture on a humid day.

 

          The march music we hear at every graduation, and known as “Pomp and Circumstance,” is actually “Land of Hope and Glory” composed by Edward Elgar and the words are by A. C. Benson. It was produced on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward VII. The words are as follows:

 

Land of hope and glory, mother of the free,

How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?

Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;

God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,

God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.

 

          In our scripture above, the children of Israel were going into captivity in 597 BC. Jeremiah gave them words of encouragement saying that God had plans for them. Plans of peace and not evil. Those plans would be finished because God is powerful, purposeful and patient. He would not fail them. They could trust Him. They would be returned, in time, to the land of hope and glory!

 

Dear Lord, Thank you for a sure and expected end. Bless all who are about to embark on a marvelous journey called commencement. AMEN

 

JUST A VERY OLD HYMN

 

Monday, May 18, 2026

 

JUST A VERY OLD HYMN

 

Ps 121:5-7

5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord  is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

 

This morning I’d like to offer just a very old hymn for you to devotionally consider. “Immortal, Invisible” was written by Walter C. Smith in 1876. America was 100 years old. The American flag had only 37 stars. Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican from New York was our President. The Civil War was over, and reconstruction was underway. The Presidential election of November 7 ended in dispute with 184 electoral college votes for Samuel Tilden and 165 for Rutherford B. Hayes. 20 votes were in dispute, and the outcome of the election was not determined until 1877. This sounds somewhat familiar.

 

Perhaps that is too much history for so early in the morning, but it points out that our present time – so characterized by controversy, violence and change – is not the first period of instability our nation has endured. While all this was going on, Walter C. Smith wrote about a wonderful, unchanging, and very stable God!

 

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

 

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

 

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish but naught changeth Thee.

 

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

 

All laud we would render; O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

 

Dear God! Thank you for being a great big God. AMEN

 

WORSHIP TAKES TIME!

 

Saturday, May 16, 2026

 

WORSHIP TAKES TIME!

 

Luke 10:41-42

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

 

          We usually join Jesus in condemning Martha’s whiny attitude, but I suspect Martha simply wanted to trade places with her sister. Martha wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus as well – or instead. The harder she worked the more she missed the sweet fellowship her sister enjoyed with the Master.

 

          I also understand that when I use the word “worship” today many people get a vision of five guitars and a set of drums, but the word worship has been hijacked. Worship is adoration of God regardless of its manifestation. Mary simply sat near Jesus and engaged in quiet conversation. While she worshipped, she had stopped working.

 

          Many of you are so busy right now that worship has been crowded out. Like Martha, you miss it but there are things to be done. Graduations, Memorial Day weekend, and the start of Summer has you in a frenzy. But it is worship you long for and worship you need.

 

Ps 27:4

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

 

Dear Lord, give me wisdom enough to differentiate between the urgent things and the good things. Let me make worship a priority. AMEN

PURE THOUGHTS!

 

Friday, May 15, 2026

 

PURE THOUGHTS!

 

Phil 4:8

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

          Warren Wiersbe quotes Dr. Walter Cavert who reported the results of a survey on worry indicating that only 8 percent of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern! The other 92 percent were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control anyway.

 

          The word “pure” is the Greek word hagnos and means “innocent, modest, perfect, chaste, and clean.” So much of that which bombards our ears, eyes, and minds today are anything but pure. Thinking pure thoughts is not easy therefore it must be intentional.

 

          The word “think” is the Greek logizomai and literally means “to take inventory.” Such thinking is done intentionally – even with much labor.

 

          Pure thinking results in pure actions as we see from the very next verse.

 

Phil 4:9

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

Dear Lord, help me to intentionally think pure thoughts and perform pure actions. AMEN

 

OLD FRIENDS!

 

Thursday, May 14, 2026

 

OLD FRIENDS!

 

James 2:23

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

John 15:14-17

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

 

          Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “friend” as: one who is not hostile; an acquaintance; one attached to another by respect or affection. This morning I realize that I have friends scattered all over the world. Some are old friends, and some are older. I think there are few things more valuable than old friends.

 

          Modern technology makes it possible to shorten the miles that separate me from my old friends. Instead of a paper and ink letter that may take days to deliver, I can send and receive an electronic message instantly. If I want to see their face tiny cameras make that possible in real time. It is a marvelous age in which we live and yet I marvel at how quickly my friends and especially their children grow older without my observance.

 

          God is my friend. Let that truth sink down into your soul and apply Webster’s definition. God is an acquaintance with whom I share respect and affection. We share secrets and fond memories of bits of life shared together. Because He loves me, He will never lead me astray. Because He respects me, His plans for me are always good plans and His gifts to me are always the best. He is a good friend. He will never side with my enemy against me. Even when we disagree, He remains a true friend. 

 

          As God’s friend I sometimes struggle to fulfill the proper definition of friendship. Though God has always proven himself to be trustworthy I often do not trust him. Sometimes I even side with his enemy against him. I wander away from his companionship. I am not a very good friend, but I love my Friend and He loves me.

 

Dear Lord, thank you that I have many old friends and that you are one of them. AMEN

 

IF I COULD JUST TOUCH HIM!

 

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

 

IF I COULD JUST TOUCH HIM!

 

Luke 8:46-47

46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

 

          There was a sick woman who had tried everything to gain healing to no avail. She thought “If I could only touch the hem of His garment, I would be made whole.” So, she did! She sneaked up on him and put out a finger and touched His clothes. Her condition was healed immediately!

 

          The disciples marveled because a huge crowd was “touching” Jesus. None of those were changed! The difference for the sick woman was that Jesus felt a loss of power.

 

          The word “virtue” is the Greek dunamis which is the same word used in God’s promise of power in Acts 1:8. Dunamis is the basis for our word dynamite. Jesus felt the loss of strength. Every act of ministry causes a loss to the one ministering. Jesus had unlimited resources, but we do not. We need to be occasionally recharged.

 

Dear Lord, let me never hesitate to come to you with my needs. Thank you for your limitless resource of virtue and power. AMEN

 

GOD DELIGHTS IN YOU!

 

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

 

GOD DELIGHTS IN YOU!

 

Prov 3:11-12

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord ; neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord  loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

 

Heb 12:6

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

 

          I once observed a grandmother with an infant grandson. The only way to describe the look on her face was pure delight. She delighted in this grandson. She took note of all his features from his tiny fingers to his little bald spot where the hair had been worn away in the crib. My wife says that the first thing a new mother does is to count fingers and toes. The eye can hardly get enough of the tiny life in her arms.

 

          In the same way, God delights in us. This is in stark contrast to what we generally think when God is trying to teach us a lesson by chastening us. We see him as a stern judge with harsh and unbending rules that are impossible to keep but the opposite is true.

 

          The word delight is set in the midst of correction. In fact, it is the reason for correction. We are corrected because he delights in us. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for delight here is ratsah which carries with it the satisfying of a debt. God delighted in us so much that He sent His Son Jesus as the satisfaction for our debt. The debt is paid because He delights in us. The debt is paid so that He can continue delighting in us.

 

Thank you, Lord, for delighting in me. Help me to feel your love even when you are in the process of chastening me. AMEN