Lamentations 3-The Mercies of the Lord, new every morning

4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
    and has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ He has made me dwell in darkness
    like those long dead. 

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

Jeremiah 31

3. The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
⁴ I will build you up again,
    and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your timbrels
    and go out to dance with the joyful.
⁵ Again you will plant vineyards
    on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
    and enjoy their fruit.
⁶ There will be a day when watchmen cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.’”

The Story of Rotten Potatoes

Rotten Potatoes

A kindergarten teacher decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes.

Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates,

So the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story: Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

"This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

When Jesus heard it, He said, "This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

----John 11:4 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Dearest Abba, Father, El-Olam - Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You call out the end from the beginning. Whosoever puts his hope in You will renew his strength, and will not grow weary and not faint. You are my faithful Creator and every moment of life is ordained and purposed by You. Help me rejoice in the sufferings I go through, because I can experience Your hand through it all. Abba, I know that your touch can change people and situations. Stretch out Your hand and touch me and breathe Your life into me so that I may live and flourish. Lord God, let Your light break forth in my life as the morning. Rebuke the destroyer for my sake and send Your Word , and deliver me from any destruction. Preserve me unto Your heavenly kingdom. Father,may any difficulties and frustration and pain of this day be transformed in Your loving presence for the glory of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ Through the grace of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

Source:BVD

Signup for Bible Verse of the Dayhttp://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=v49jmieab&p=oi&m=1104087935989