December 17

Good morning, Hillcrest Family.

God is so incredibly good! His plans for our future as a church and as a church body are so incredibly good. May He be glorified continuously in our midst as a church body and in our homes and families and all aspects of our lives.

There's so much good reading in today's Scripture portion. I love Revelations. I want to concentrate on Psalms 136, however. The passage starts off in verse one, "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." The passage declares, "give thanks to the God of gods and to the Lord of lords!" Then Psalm 136 lays out the things God does to which we say, "Thank You."

God is great. God is huge. There's a song that I love to sing with the kids, "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty; there's nothing my God cannot do for you." We see His greatness throughout Psalms 136. Yes, God loves when we see Him in His glory and greatness. He loves it when we praise Him. And yet, there's something more to this passage. "For His mercy endures forever" echos through the passage over and over and over. Obviously it's a pretty important statement. So what does it mean?

The word "for" that begins this statement is a function word used to indicate purpose or an intended goal. "Mercy" is compassion or forebearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power. Another definition states that mercy is a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion or the compassionate treatment of those in distress. "Endures" means to undergo without giving in as in hardship or to regard with tolerance and acceptance, to remain firm under suffering without yielding. As I read the words of Psalm 136, I realize God's greatness in light of my humility and smallness. I see my need for Him. Man is born sinful. We sin, and our sin pains the holy God who created us. And yet, over and over and over, He moves on our behalf compassionately to draw us to Him. He doesn't write us off as losers or hopeless. Instead He reminds us that He remembered us in our lowly state and that He rescued us from our enemies.

For His mercy endures forever. Can you hear His love? God isn't just puffing up His chest declaring that He's great and man is worthless. He's crying out, "I love YOU...and I forgive YOU...and I did these things for YOU!" How can we not but look to Him and give thanks? Thanks for His mercy. Thanks for His perseverance. Thanks for His love. Thanks for His greatness. If only we truly understood just how deeply God loves us and those around us, how could we not help but live in a state of thankfulness and gratitude and love no matter what the circumstance, putting away unforgiveness and bitterness and selfishness.

Today, I bless you in the name of Jesus to comprehend along w/the saints the width and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge and to be filled with the fullness of God. I bless you to know and understand that for YOU His mercy endures forever in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

Have a wonderful day! See you at church tomorrow.

Blessings,
Rolanda Green
Hillcrest Children's Minister