This morning as I thought back over the previous year and all God had blessed me with I could not help but break out in singing the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness", for it really sums up what God has brought me through and where I am now.
Lyrics | 4Him lyrics - Great Is Thy Faithfulness lyrics
That song brings to mind all the wonderful verses God has given me to cling to and try His faithfulness. As part of the Thankful Thursday Top Ten, I'm going to share ten of the verses I'm thankful that God has given me.
1. Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning:great is thy faithfulness."
Not only is this the verse that the above hymn was based on but this is also the verse God gave me during the two lowest points of my life, when I felt like all was lost. When I was ready to give up and felt completely hopeless I opened His word and this verse was there to carry me through.
2. Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts."
This is the verse I go to every year as I struggle with how I'm going to accomplish everything He has called me to, like being a helpmeet to my husband and a mother, nurturer and instructor to my seven children. Although in the flesh it is impossible, His way is possible.
3. John 14:13-14 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
God showed me the importance of asking and claiming His word with this verse. In February of we discovered I was expecting our 8th child. We've allowed God to bless us with His children and timing, yet I really struggled when I discovered I was expecting. I immediately called out to God. Pregnancy is very hard on me. I struggle to keep up with the chores, meals, schooling, etc. As I cried out to God, I gently heard Him say, "You have not because you ask not.", and I immediately began to ask God for an easy pregnancy and delivery and He answered in a mighty way that brought all glory to Him. He used this pregnancy to confirm His hand and answers in our lives. He confirmed that we were to stay in the south and not continue to spend the winters in the south and summers in the midwest. I enjoyed that very much as I have wonderful friends in both places, but packing up and moving 900 miles twice a year was challenging and it would take me at least 3 months to get settled and organized and 3 months later it was time to do it all again. Our baby was born the week before Thanksgiving, reminding me of what a gift he truly was to our family. I get to experience the joy of having a homebirth again and experiencing a supernatural delivery. I could go on and on about the His faithfulness through this time.
The following verses are from Psalm 91, which I discovered in hindsight was God's passage for our family for the year. We started out memorizing it in the fall as part of our schoolwork. The following verses God brought to life for me.
4. Psalm 91:11,13a, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways...Thou shalt tread upon the loin and adder:"
The day my daughter was bitten by a water moccasin, this verse came to life for us as she received a dry bite with no harm. What a day of rejoicing this was for us as we say God's protection. I learned to trust Him more in the keeping of my family and she was reminded that God has a special purpose for her life and He loves her.
5. Psalm 91:3,10, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence...There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."
We spent most of October and early November sick, with strep and high fevers. God gave me this verse to cling to as the arrival of our baby approached. He is good and all sickness left and we have been healthy since.
6. Philippians 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
A wonderful reminder that God is working in me, despite how I may feel and how the circumstances look.
7. Philippians 1:3,4,6, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,...Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
This verse encourages as I look at the character flaws in my children and my poor parenting skills. I am encouraged to thank God for them and release them to Him, knowing that He is faithful to finish that which He began in both me and them.
8. Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Hope for this failure prone, perfectionist driven mom and her children. Thank God for His gift of grace.
9. James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him."
What parent doesn't need wisdom??? I find myself claiming this verse all day long as I'm faced with training my children and needing wisdom to do the job right.
10. Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth, me."
This is my go to verse when I'm feeling defeated and forlorn. He is faithful to do it through me, if I will just depend upon Him.
His passed faithfulness encourages me to look forward with hope and expectation for what He will do in the coming new year. Reviewing these verses gives me a new hunger and thirst to devour even more of His word and promises.
