Wednesday, November 18, 2009

GOD IS FAITHFULL AT ALL TIMES

And He said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities….therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10


Great is Thy faithfulness O God My Father / There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not / As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.



Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness / Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy Hand hath provided / Great is thy Faithfulness, Lord unto Me.



Summer and Winter, springtime and harvest / Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifest witness / To Thy great Faithfulness, mercy and love.



Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth / Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow / Blessings all mine with ten thousands beside.



Great is Thy Faithfulness, Great is Thy Faithfulness /Morning by Morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided /Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.



The author of the hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in July of 1866.



At the age of 16 he began teaching school despite the paucity of his own education, when at the age of 27 under the ministry of Evangelist H.C. Morrison he came to know the Lord.


It was the persuasion of Morrison that Chisholm moved to Louisville and became editor of the Pentecostal Herald. He was ordained a Methodist minister in 1903 and served a brief pastorate at Scottsville, Kentucky.



However because of poor health, Thomas alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs though he discovered new blessings from God every morning.


The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him--”His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.”


Thomas spent his retirement years in a Methodist Home for the Aged in Ocean Park, New Jersey, where he was frequently seen walking by the ocean and along town streets.

He passed away on February 29 1960.


How many of us find that we discover new blessings from God every morning-even when circumstances dare to differ.



I read a analogy about resting in our God, and basically it read, “All of us by nature are murmurers and complainers. We question every act of God and man. In our arrogance and self-will, we secretly think that we could do much better if things were in OUR CONTROL."
I’m sure you have asked yourself as to why there are Christians that seem to be living that peaceful life.

They have simply conquered the pain and the bitterness that comes into each of their lives, by simply keeping STILL.


They are so sure of His love and wisdom, that they are pained by no doubt, no fear, no uncertainty. Peace is their pillow, because they have learned to just BE STILL.



Their quietness robs trials of its sharpness, sorrow of its bitterness, death of its sting, and the grave of its victory.”


I think this is one issue that we as Christians struggle with every day.



And that is “How are we to be at peace and rejoicing in the Lord every day, especially when trials come our way.”


Does Christianity mean that we are NEVER to question, NEVER to be discouraged, NEVER to cry out when disease is raging throughout our body. We are only human and these are basic human instincts that we all feel at times.



When death of a loved one comes our way or when we have just been diagnosed with a terminal disease, when one has lost their job, our first inclination is to ask WHY?


Didn’t our Lord cry out to His Father when He was on the Cross, by saying “Why hast thou forsaken Me?”


Yes, I truly think that we might go through some anger, we might even get down, we might ask Why, for these are our human emotions screaming out at us, but when we get past the Whys, what do we have left.


We have our FAITH to lean on!


We can only believe, and only rest in the Knowledge that our lord WILL never forsake us and that HE WILL see us through no matter what is before us.


Gods GRACE is SUFFICIENT!




May we all rest in the compassionate and tender hands of our Lord.

today and every day after let us all declare that Great is Thy Faithfulness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpRCClg8pEY