Faithfulness, Mercies & Glory

By: Joanne Viola

Most days the shade is up as I dry my hair. I never tire of watching the sun rise up over the woods which sit at the end of our yard. Here’s the thing I have discovered:

The sun always rises, but never in quite the same way.

As the seasons change, its positioning varies ever so slightly. The shadows, the beams, and the reflections in the woods are always beautiful and never repeated.

It had been a stressful and emotional week. Deep in thought, I began to dry my hair, forgetting to pull up the shade. My thoughts began to fill me with panic, bringing the reminder, “Lift the shade. Look out. Remember.”

Grabbing my phone, I ran out into the freezing cold morning to capture the beauty. Standing on the deck, the words began to fill my thoughts:

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” (Lamentations 3: 22-26, NLT)

What are we to do when facing stressful and difficult days which seek to consume our thoughts: 

1. Shift our thoughts onto the promises of God. Deliberately and intentionally seek God out. We must turn our eyes to see Him and focus on Him.  
2. Remember the faithful love of the Lord. His love is ever faithful and never failing. His love has no end and reaches to the ends of the earth. He is reliable and will never let us down.
3. Search and wait for Him. As surely as the sun rises each morning, God will surely arise in our lives. Of this, we can be confident. When we go to sleep at night, God is there with us. When we wake in the morning, God is yet there with us. He cannot be unfaithful. 

With my attention focused on God’s faithfulness, mercies, and beauty; my heart was filled with peace and hope for a better day. I continued to dry my hair now and I found myself humming a song. Bits and pieces of the lyrics coming to mind:

“God You keep us without failing.
As You watch us from above
In our comings and our goings
Sheltered by Your precious love
In the pouring rain of mercy.”

You have touched our lives forever
Can we be the same again
May our hearts be ever faithful
Ever faithful as a friend
Let us live that we may serve You
Overflowing with Your praise
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name.”(from the song “For the Glory of Your Name"
as sung by Michelle Tumes)

And that is so our God! He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning, so that He keeps us faithful to Him for all of our days.

And it is all for the glory of His Name!