Holding Tight to the God Who Never Changes - Your Nightly Scripture - August 10th
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Holding Tight to the God Who Never Changes
Evening Scripture
Psalm 102
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones. I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof. All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside. My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.
In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”
Evening Reflection
Each of us faces storms in this life. Often, we are either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or heading into one! As Christians we are not immune to life’s troubles, actually Jesus promises we will face challenges. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God does offer us some assurances for life’s storms. He tells us that he is always with us and never changing. In Psalm 102, we read that while all other things perish, God remains. He is a constant force that we can rely on when things around us feel chaotic.
God is always worthy of our praise. When we face trouble, it’s natural to lament. Sadness is a real and valid human emotion. God does not expect us to gloss over our more complex feelings in order to be a Christian. The Psalms are full of true cries of grief, help, and despair! But even as we cry out, we also come back around and are reminded through the scriptures that God is worthy of our praise, no matter our circumstances. We hold tight to his promises and give thanks that we have a God who loves us as we walk through the valley.
God promises that the best is yet to come. At the end of Psalm 102, we read that your children will live in your presence and their descendants will be established before you! We are promised access to God now in the land of the living, but we also know that one day we will spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. Life’s storms are passing products of the brokenness that exists in this world. One day, every tear will be wiped away, and these hard moments will be a passing memory. We can always hold onto hope because we know that the best is ahead of us.
Don’t give up. Hold tight to Jesus, who never changes. He carries us through the storms. He never wastes our pain, as he promises to work all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Evening Prayer
Father,
I thank you that you are never changing! I can trust you. Stay near me as I am moving through life’s ups and downs. I thank you that you are eternal, and you promise me eternity spent with you. Show me how you are using this trial to grow my faith and draw me closer to you. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. When I doubt, help my unbelief. Carry me through this season. I love you, Lord.
Amen.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
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