Our Lord’s compassion is never ceasing, and His Love never failing. For this we ought to be grateful, for we each desperately need both! In moments when we see the suffering of others, what we ought to do is fall on our knees because we know that the same compassion and love that God pours out in those moments of desperate need, is the exact compassion and love He pours out on those who fall before Him–It is poured out in forgiveness.

Today another major quake struck, this time in Chili.  We are once again reminded that we are not able to control the world we live in.  That it is filled with all sorts of things that cause people to suffer, with no warning at all.  That the world is, at best, a chaotic place to live.  In all of the chaos, already planned tonight was Compassion International’s benefit concert for Haiti, just over a month after the Haiti quake, and what turns out to be the night of the Chili quake.  Compassion, exactly what God exhibits to us.

More then exhibit actually, but pours out.  Right now, in the moment when we see others suffering, we need to remember that each day God is pouring out on us all a compassion so rich with grace, a compassion so rich with love, a compassion so rich with mercy to each who have fallen on our knees before Him and said to Him “I deserve no less then to suffer for my sin, but forgive me! Thank you for sending Christ, thank you Christ for having so much compassion for me that you died-that you suffered for me.”  Compassion-so much of it poured out on us all that when we see God exhibit His compassion on others we ought to want to cry out to Him in thanksgiving and praise for giving any of the same for us.

Each time God shows compassion in any form on mankind, I cannot help but be reminded of the fact that it is that compassion poured out upon me that allows me to call Him my Lord.  That allows me to call myself forgiven.  Can you call Him that, can you call yourself that?  If not, now, right now, He has that compassion pouring out to you.  You need only believe He will forgive you, ask Him for forgiveness, thanking Christ for suffering in your place, and thanking Him for the compassion He is pouring out.

Falling, Falling, Falling.  I’ve been watching the Olympics the last few days, and that describes a lot of what I have been seeing.  First the snow boarders, falling some 22 feet to the bottom of the half pipe. Then figure skaters, who for some reason were having trouble staying up on two thin blades atop a sheet of ice.  Then a few skiers held to the same fate, discovering that skis like pointing a certain direction-together.  And then, lastly, this morning, a ski jumper who manged not to land completely upright, but though they had fallen, manged to get back up again.

A lot of falling down in just a few days.  For all of those who had fallen, there were many who had not, who had triumphed over the challenge and for each challenge one was awarded the best prize-Gold.  As usual, with many things, it made me think.  Wow, that was a lot of falling down for nothing.  All those athletes who had prepared, who trained, and who in the end fell and didn’t win a prize.  Yikes.  Everyone always asks them “what did you think after you fell”.  I wonder-what were they thinking in those moments when they were in the midst of falling and they could do nothing to stop it.  When they were powerless to stop the forces of gravity and they knew all that training would not get them the prize.

I wonder what we think when we are falling, not when we have completely fallen, but when we are being trapped, in the process of the falling.  Do we ever think to ourselves “I am running a race worthy of my Lord, to win a prize greater then even gold, and I am powerless to stop it”.  For it is true we are in a race, and the prize is worth more then even gold, but it is not true that we are powerless to stop it.  We are given more then we need to stop even the most powerful schemes the enemy might attack us with.  We are given the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, which we can use to stop ourselves in the midst of any fall.  It isn’t gravity pulling us down!  If we ever think when we are falling that we simply can’t do anything about it, we are wrong.

What happens when we don’t stop it, and we do fall?  Then what, are we without a prize?  Like the Olympic athlete, are we left out even though we have trained, we have started the race, and we have run?  No-for we will get up again.  The Lord has promised that He will lift up all those who fall! “The LORD upholds all those who fall, and lifts up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14 Did you see the one requirement on our part–to be bowed down.  We must bow down to Him and He will forgive us, lifting us up. We will once again be running, running, running, forgiven.

Falling is not unstoppable, and having fallen does not cause us to lose our prize.  God’s word prevents falling from becoming gravity, and when we do fall, bowing down gets us back up and running again, forgiven.  The prize is ours, its just a matter of what position you are in when you receive it, me I want to be running when I receive it.  So I will keep using God’s word as my sword, and continue to bow down when I do fall, relying on the Lord to lift me up.

Before anyone makes any “musical like comments” I don’t write music =)  I don’t read music, and I don’t even play an instrument.  I’m learning to play the drums and years ago I use to play the guitar.  I woke up this morning needing to write this, so I did, now I am sharing it with you.  I know you can’t hear it the way it is in my head, so do your best =)   Here is my first ever lyrical arrangement (and probably what will be my only one ever since I don’t write songs):

Promises fulfilled:

He said that He’d be there, without ever leaving

No matter the circumstance, whatever you needed

He promised He’d carry you, as you walked through the trial

Each day to be your strength, when you feel depleted

Promises fulfilled, over and over

He proved it again, that He’d be by your side

and carry you through, every single fire

Promises fulfilled, again and again

He said that He’d be there, without ever leaving

He’ll prove it again, He’ll prove it again

He told you he’d give you peace, when you are overwhelmed

Where the road leads you, that He’ll stand by your side

He promised too comfort you, in every moment of pain

Each day that He’ll shelter you, from what this world brings

Promises fulfilled, over and over

He proved it again, that He’d be by your side

and carry you through, every single fire

Promises fulfilled, again and again

He said that He’d be there, without ever leaving

He’ll prove it again, He’ll prove it again

Now He’s promised you better things, then you can imagine

The road does not end here, it continues on

His promise to be with you, goes on forever

He promised to take you, to be by His side

Where you’ll worship forever, the one who has made you

Promises fulfilled, over and over

He proved it again, that He’d be by your side

and carry you through, every single fire

Promises fulfilled, over and over

He filled every one, and He’ll do it again

Promises fulfilled, to the final one

to the final one

I was inspired to write this because of something in my woman’s bible study homework this past week.  We are doing Beth Moore’s Daniel, and so far it has been a very inspiring  journey.  I shared a small part of this with the women last night, and am now sharing it here.

I will start by quoting, in part, what Beth had to say in our books in one of our daily studies.  She wrote “God has a plan and purpose for His world. …. the creator who is actively involved in moving His creation to a goal.  History is not a cynical process of endless repetition; history is being moved toward the predetermined end.”  Just one paragraph later she goes on to say “God’s providence is intentional and purposeful. ….thankfully, He is pleased to involve us in His process.”

Intentional, purposeful, towards a specific end, and He is using us in it!  What an amazing thought!  He is using us in a plan that He has already laid out and determined, and even more then that we know what that glorious end is, the return of our Lord.  So here is a part of this that we often miss, the Lord knows every small detail that needs doing to get to that end, and He is able to do all of them on His own, yet He involves us in the process by His choice!  He doesn’t have to, He chooses to.

What is significant about that?  If He has asked us to do any task as history moves towards that end, then that task must be significant!  He has determined it is because He knows it needs doing.  All to often we become discouraged in our ministry, in our service, because we feel it is insignificant, or we let others make us feel it is insignificant.  Yet if the Lord has decided it is necessary to move history to the ultimate end of Christ returning for His church, it is as significant as any other part of the plan.  The very fact that He has asked you to be included in that plan by doing any part of it ought to be enough to spurn you on toward completing it.  Never allow anyone, including the enemy, to make you feel like you are insignificant in the Lord’s plan.

On the flip side, since each part of God’s plan is significant, and every detail must be complete, then no part is more significant then another.  The Lord has not appointed any more significance to one over another, only more responsibility which comes with more accountability.  The outcome of this means that you ought never allow yourself to make another feel insignificant in the Lord’s plan, because you make yourself out to be more important.  For if they do not complete what the Lord has asked of them, then the Lord must find another to do that.  If you have been given more responsibility then you must be careful not to place yourself as more important then another, because you might find that the accountability that comes with your position finds your responsibility removed from you.

We must all be thankful to the Lord for even being willing to include us in His plan!  Whatever He asks us to do we ought to do it with a thankful and diligent heart, knowing that the Lord did not have to ask it of us.  Remembering that He did so because He desires for us to be a part of what He is doing not because He needs us.  We must remember that our part in God’s plan is moving history towards the most amazing and glorious moment in history, and also encourage others as they do their part, so that God will be glorified in the doing of all of it.  For there is nothing insignificant that the Lord can ask us to do, and there is nothing more significant we can do then what the Lord asks of us.