His Mercy Endures

I love how the Lord is faithful to speak to me through His Word, and I love how He uses everyday circumstances to teach and show me new things.

We lost power early on Monday morning. Now, this is pretty common here in Uganda, and I never really know if the power outage will last a few moments or a few days. Needless to say, it is always very disappointing when we lose power! It’s one of those things you don’t really think about until it’s gone. 

It really isn’t terrible when we lose power since we have a generator and most things run on solar anyway, but there are certain things you can’t use on the generator or on solar. It’s not the end of the world by any means, but life simply isn’t as convenient without electricity.

All that being said, still I usually get frustrated when the power goes out, and I hope and pray it comes back quickly. That morning, however, the Lord actually used the brief power outage to speak to me powerfully! I love how He works and uses all things, even the little things.

I was finishing up my devotions when we lost power that morning. I read Psalm 118, which I had read many times before, but suddenly verse 1 held so much more meaning for me:

“OH, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! 

For His mercy endures forever.”

I thought about how the power had just gone out. It can easily be used up and sadly doesn’t last. I was reminded that the Lord’s mercy is not like that. His mercy endures. Endure means to continue to exist; to last. His mercy continues to exist; it lasts forever. I don’t have to live each day hoping and praying it will last. I’m promised right in His word that it will.

I’m so very thankful that God’s mercy and love lasts forever. Each day He meets me with renewed mercy, and thus, renewed strength. So much in this life wears out and ceases to exist. His love, however, endures throughout all the pressures and stresses of this life. His love and mercies are inexhaustible. I can rest confidently in God’s mercy because it will never fail me, even when all else does.

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Seeing Jesus

Recently, I found myself feeling anxious and struggling. That same morning, I had music playing in my room. A song came on which I had heard many times before, but it suddenly ministered so powerfully to me. Many of you probably know the song - “Open the Eyes of My Heart”:

“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see You

I want to see You
To see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing holy, holy, holy...”

As I listened to those words, I was reminded of how desperately I needed my eyes to be opened; to see the Lord high and lifted up. I needed to see His glory, which makes all else fade in the background. I thought about how so often I only see my anxieties. So often I only see the things that cause me stress or the challenges I face throughout the day. Admittedly, far too often all I see is myself, instead of seeing the Lord high and lifted up. Too often I see much of my anxiety, and little of Jesus. When I see Him high and lifted up, everything changes. The words to this song became my prayer. I want the Lord to open the eyes of my heart, to have eyes that see Him, even in the daily struggles and challenges. I want to have eyes that look past myself and unto Jesus. 

On another day that was especially challenging for me, the Lord brought to my mind Hebrews 11:27:

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible”. 

I love that! Moses endured because he saw Him who is invisible. He saw God, and that gave him the strength to keep pressing on, to keep going, even through the difficulties that came his way. I want to have eyes that see God’s goodness, even in the challenges. I want to have eyes that see His grace, even in my failures. I want to have eyes that see Him in all things. I’ve learned that when I see Jesus, everything changes.

I long for the eyes of my heart to be open. I want to see Jesus high and lifted up, on both the good days and the challenging ones. When I have eyes that see Jesus, I can endure any challenge with great joy, because He is beautiful. 

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

~Hebrews 12:1-2