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God is Your Protector,
Provider, and Friend,
His love will not fail you.
His mercies won’t end.
For they are both new
each day and each hour
like the sun that arises
each morning in power.
Each morning Love shines,
drives darkness away
for the soul that is seeking
to walk in God’s ways,
for darkness (evil) must flee
when His children seek Him . . .
as surely as night
must flee when earth spins.
I can depend on God as surely as I depend on the sun to rise. The daily rising of the sun is a God-designed picture of His faithfulness and unchanging power to drive away all that Satan tries to do. The principle that God’s light always defeats the enemy’s darkness applies to each problem we face in this life on earth.
Let’s examine the Biblical basis for Stanza One.
STANZA ONE:
God is Your Protector,
Provider, and Friend,
His love will not fail you.
His mercies won’t end.
God’s love is like that of a perfect father. What does a perfect human father do? He protects, provides for, guides, and loves his children. How perfectly our Heavenly Father does all that, and so much more! God is referred to as our Father more than 150 times in the Old and New Testaments https://shorturl.at/xv13J. Clearly, He wants us to think of Him that way. Consider Psalm 103:11-14.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].
14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. (Psalm 103:11-14, AMPC, emphasis added)
The sky speaks clearly, but without words, of the limitless nature of God’s love. (Psalm 19:1). Standing outside, you see that heaven’s blue canopy is unimaginably far beyond your grasp. You also see that earth, and you, are encompassed by sky. As the earth’s atmosphere protects earth, so God’s love protects those “who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.” (Psalm 103:17).
Did you ever notice how the sky seems to curve around us, like a huge inverted bowl? This makes us feel safe outdoors. We do not have to understand the geometry of tangents, circles, and the horizon. God designed the human eye so that we all perceive ourselves to be surrounded when we are outdoors. Yet, at the same time we feel free. We see this even in infants. Take a fretful infant outdoors and he calms. Why?
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God made earth a good place for His beloved human beings. The One Who made us planned that the basic elements of earth and of life itself are good. Consider the pleasure of drawing breath, the comfort of a gentle breeze or a human hand touching your cheek, the relief of sitting or lying down, how water soothes skin, the pleasure of rhythm—evident in the pulse of the ocean and the beat of music that mimics heartbeats heard in the womb. All these are channels through which God loves us. God is our exceedingly good Father, good far beyond all we can imagine.
Am I included in His perfect love? God wants us to know that His love, like that of a parent, is as measureless as the heavens for those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. “ But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. . . ” (Psalm 103:17a, AMPC)
How do you know you are included in that group of people? How do you know that you “reverently worship and fear Him”? “Fearing God means having a reverence for Him that greatly impacts the way we live. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshiping Him in awe.” https://tinyurl.com/42bc2b5h
However, that does not mean we have to be perfect. To fear God means to love Him and serve Him and follow Him with all your heart. My efforts to please God are as beautiful to Him as the misshapen mud pie a toddler plops into his mother’s outstretched hands. What God chooses to see is my love and my effort for Him. God knows—and I know—when I give Him my all. God knows—and I know—when I do something for Him out of my love.
Am I really forgiven? Am I included in His mercies? Because we human beings so often doubt that God has really forgiven our past sins, God uses another astonishing simile. He says He has separated our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. That includes every time we fell short of God’s best before we believed in and began living for Jesus. It also includes every time we fall short after we walk with Him — if we confess our sins.
Why is this so important? We all sin, and God will always be true to His nature. What is God’s nature? Psalm 103 tells us: The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love”. (Psalm 103:8, NLT). Compassionate means God is aware of our distresses and is moved to help. Merciful means God is willing to forgive.
An essential truth to know as a believer is that God will forgive us and wash us clean from everything not pleasing to Him if we confess our sin. This promise is conditional. We must do our part by admitting to God that we have sinned. Consider 1 John 1:8-10.
“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.” (NLT)
And regarding mercy, Psalm119 says: “Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.” (NIV, emphasis added). Consider also Isaiah 30:18:
“ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you.” (AMPC, emphasis added).
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STANZA TWO:
For they are both new
each day and each hour
like the sun that arises
each morning in power.
(“They” means God’s love and mercy in Stanza One).
God knows we need reassurances. Our perfect Heavenly Father knows we need constant reassurance from Him because this present world is dark and our human nature weak. He knows our fleshly tendency to dwell on the past, the negative, and our inadequacies. And He knows how the enemy attacks.
Over and over God’s Word reiterates that His nature will never change and that He is and will always be faithful to His children. Perhaps this was the principle Jeremiah pondered upon while writing Lamentations, specifically Lamentations 3:22-23. Perhaps Jeremiah was thinking that the daily rising of the sun illustrates God’s faithfulness as well as His power to drive all darkness away. That principle applies to each hour as well as each day and season of our life.
Despite all that, I might ask: “But does He love me? Will He be merciful to me? I have lived such a terrible life!” The answer? Yes! Yes! Yes! God’s love and care for His children is dependable as dawn and everlasting as evening’s ease. And “God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:11, NLT). It is well worth the time to deeply ponder Hebrews 13:5b in the AMPC translation. Repeat this verse phrase by phrase until it imprints on your heart.
“. . . be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God Himself has said,
I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.
[I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not
in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5b, AMPC) (line spacing added for emphasis)
Could God put it any plainer?
But alas! My thoughts and my feelings! How do I fight fears and temptations and those terribly fickle feelings? If I put on and use the spiritual weapons God provides, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18, I will be able to stand strong against all the enemy’s attacks.
“10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil] 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT, emphasis added)
The believer’s spiritual battle occurs in the human mind, as that most excellent book by Joyce Meyer teaches. (See The Battlefield of the Mind, by Joyce Meyer.) God provides the armor but we must put it on. The shield of faith and the Word of God are essential in overcoming undesirable thoughts and feelings. He gives clear instructions on how to use the sword of the Spirit. God says keep His Word always in our minds and heart. He commands this in many places in Scripture. (See Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1, and Philippians 4:8.)
God intends that the believer use His Word. God never forsakes those who seek Him “on the authority of His Word and the right of their necessity”. (Psalm 9:10, AMPC) Our need gives us the right and we exercise the authority of the Word when we speak it–in faith–over our problems.
Why does God tell us to always be meditating on His truths? Truth sets us free (John 8:32). Meditation is the way to get His truths into our mind. And that will make our minds new, more like His. Meditating and memorizing God’s Word frees us from the control of darkness. We are better able to stay on God’s paths, rather than the paths of darkness, where tormenting thoughts and temptations reside.
Why is that? When I stumble off God’s path and into the darkness of sin, the light that comes from His Word in my heart, “is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NLT.) In His light, I see light. Psalm 36:9 the psalmist says to God: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.” (AMPC)
Personal truths for daily life. We do well to do personal Bible study for our specific personal needs. Find verses that address your need and then meditate on and speak those verses out loud. This will bring God’s strength into your daily life. Try it. For more information on meditation, see God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com
Four key truths I purposefully keep in my thoughts and in my mouth lately are:
- God will always love me. (Psalm 136:1)
- Nothing is too hard for God. (Jeremiah 32:170)
- His very nature is love, compassion, mercy, holiness and justice. And Malachi 3:6 assures me He never changes.
- The battle is His, not mine. When I do my part, He does the rest. (1 Samuel l7:47).
A recent personal struggle. For several weeks recently, I struggled greatly with negative thoughts and feelings, though I believe and routinely practice what I have written here. I could give a long list of genuine problems as the reason for the struggle, but the truth is I sinned. I fell short of God’s best for me. How?
Careful pondering of Jeremiah 15:19 tells me it is a vile thing to God when I have “suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness”. Such thoughts are “unworthy and unwarranted.”
“Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you—not you to [the people]. (Jeremiah 15:19, AMPC, emphasis added).
What happened to me? At a deep level below conscious thought, I began to doubt God’s faithfulness. Why? New and continuing trials and responsibilities wore me down (Daniel 7:25). With weary body and spirit, daily times with God were not as strong as they needed to be. With that ever-present fog of weariness, I sensed His love, His joy and genuine motivation to love others less and less. Oh, I continued church and Bible study, contacting and encouraging friends, witnessing to strangers, and writing and studying. But heaviness lingered. Something was wrong.
My good habit of meditating on the Word throughout the day also slipped. Negative thoughts flooded in. Negative feelings followed. Little and big trials kept coming. Like the well-known frog in the kettle, my spiritual senses dulled as I spent time pondering my afflictions, instead of pondering God’s faithfulness (See Lamentations 3). Despite all that, I clung to God’s promises.
What got me out of that pit? The goodness and mercy of God. The Scriptures hidden in my heart gave light for my next few steps and illuminated the path ahead (Psalm 119:11). I knew what to do. Personal experience with God’s mercy (Psalm 91:14, AMPC) has taught me to trust Him and be confident. I know, I know, I know that He will never, never, never forsake me and that He will always, always, always help me (Hebrews 13:5b).
I had to prioritize my relationship with God above all else. (Proverbs 4:23). Some things, though apparently necessary, had to go.
So, day after day, I sat in my rocker by the window, reading His Word, praying, talking things over with God verbally and through journaling. I knew 1 John 1:9 promised that if I confessed my sin to God, He would be faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (paraphrased). But I did not know, at first, where I had gone wrong.
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So, I kept “reasoning together with God”. I knew that in Isaiah 1:18 God invites us to talk with Him so that we can repent of our sins and be reconciled. “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (NKJ)
As I talked with God, He revealed my sins and where I failed. I believe He has restored me to right standing with Him. The essential element of that is guarding my relationship with Him above all else.
Have all the “troubles, sufferings and responsibilities” ended? Far from it. But I am no longer standing still in terror. I am moving forward. I am making great spiritual progress upon those very mountains of difficulties that, temporarily, made me stumble.
So, I say with Habakkuk “The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army. . .” (Habakkuk 3:19a, AMPC)
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3: 17-19, AMPC, emphasis added).
Dear reader, because of God’s faithfulness, you and I can, like Paul, forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. We can all, through God’s great grace, “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14, NLT)
In Part Two, we will examine the Biblical basis for the third and fourth stanzas of the little poem at the start of this blog post. The main Scriptures on which those words are based are listed below. Meditate on these Scriptures and see what God reveals to you.
God always leads us in victory — 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
The soul that is seeking — Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 8:17
We must resist the enemy – James 4:5-10
The natural rhythms of life — Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
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