"Well Deserved Thanks"

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:1)

 Some mornings are surely better than others; but regardless, there is almost always something that God speaks into my heart. This morning He is speaking about how much He is for me; as a child, in need of teaching and in need of correcting, He is for me being all that He has created me to be. And believe you me, I am so very thankful for His abundant mercy! There are so many things that I need His mercy for; for the things I do, as well as for all the things I fail to do. Reading this verse, I can not help but think of that song, "Good, Good Father." This is what I am, I am loved by Him! Tell that to someone today; just tell them, 'God loves you,' and see what their reaction is when they hear you say it out loud and to their face. All those things that Paul listed in those verses from yesterday, they are all the regardless things; those things that would usually cause unbelievers to quite and give up, but not us who put our trust in God. We always have hope; hope that is based upon a God that is real and that cares for us; cares enough to have given all that He had to save us and redeem us from destruction. He did this even though we rejected Him, sometimes, multiple times, and without any regard for His love being poured out for us. Not only were we lost in our sins, but we were enjoying being lost, and had no desire to be found. Even through all of that, He did not give up, He did not quit loving us. There is really no greater love! And guess what! We get to rest in that love! Do you realize what that means? It means that He loves me, even when I throw mud in His face, even when I do the exact opposite of what He tells me to do, He still loves me and cares for me, regardless of my blatant misbehavior. Do you see why I use the word rest? There is no other place I would rather be, than in the loving arms of my Heavenly Father. No matter who you are or what you might have done, God loves you, and it is never too late for you to jump into His loving arms, because they are always wide open and waiting for you...

""This is what the LORD says: You have said, 'This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.' Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah's other towns, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the LORD. They will sing, 'Give thanks to the LORD of Heaven's Armies, for the LORD is good. His faithful love endures forever!' For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the LORD.""
(Jeremiah 33:10-11) NLT