First Wednesday 9/01/2021

Introduction:

Go ahead and take a seat. It’s so good to see of you here tonight.

I’m just so thankful for a group of people who understand the importance of prayer, because we know if we pray that God hears our prayers.

In fact, we know that not only does God hear our prays, but God acts because of our prayers.

In Isaiah 37:21 the prophet Isaiah confirms this to Hezekiah who cried out for God to help. He says to Hezekiah:

Isaiah 37:21 ESV

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,

And then he goes on to describe the victory he was going to give Hezekiah.

Church because we here praying tonight, God is going to act. God is going to give us victory. Amen!?

We’re going to spend some time praying tonight, but before we do I want to take a few moments and talk to you about “The Certainty God offers us”.

The fact is, we live in a world that doesn’t always feel certain. That’s true, right?

And I would say that’s been especially true since the beginning of 2020 with the threat of Covid across the globe. A pandemic that has robbed many of their certainty by creating all kinds of unknowns, inconsistencies, fears, and uncertainties. That’s true, right?

Add to that what’s happening in Afghanistan, the ongoing racial and political unrest in our country, and the day to day challenges that so many of us are facing, and we could all agree, life doesn’t feel very certain.

But what I want you to leave here tonight assured of, is that there is a certainty you can depend on. A certainty that can’t be taken away. A certainty that isn’t affected by a pandemic, a war, a political party, or by any uncertainty that you may be facing in your life. A certainty that God promises we can always count on.

So, what’s the certainty we can have?

We read about in in Lamentation 3. The writer states it like this:

Lamentations 3:22–24 ESV

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

In this passage Solomon highlights the certainty of two key attributes of God; his steadfast love and his mercies. His steadfast love, and his mercies.

And in highlighting these attributes he implies that no matter how uncertain everything else in the world or our life might be, that these two certainties are really all we need.

And so for the next few moments I want to look at these two attributes and discover together why these certainties are so important and what we need to do to attain them.

The first certainty that Solomon highlights is the steadfast love of God.

The word here for love here is translated from the Hebrew word “hesed” which literally means “unfailing love”.

It’s the idea that God’s love can always be counted on. That no matter what happens, how dark it gets, or how hopeless it seems, that you can count on God’s unfailing love.

And what a comforting certainty that is. To know that God’s love for us is unfailing. That it will never get a glitch and quit working. That it will never be interrupted or cut off. That it is something we can always count on.

The quesiton then is, “What does that love provide us?”

Well, more than we can possibly comprehend, but I love how Paul puts it in Romans 8 where he describes the benefits of God’s love. He writes:

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In this passage Paul lists several benefits that God’s love provides us.

First, it provides us with protection. Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us”.

Second, it provides us with Salvation. Paul says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Finally, it provides us with victory. Paul says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What that means then is, no matter what comes against us, no matter what tries to take us out, and no matter how overwhelming the battle is, that God’s love will never fail us. That in the midst of the uncertainty we can be certain that God is with us. Why? Because His love is unfailing. It is something we can always count on.

But not only can we count on God’s love, but we can be certain of his mercies.

The word mercy here is translated from the Hebrew word “ra-hamim”, and represents a number of the attributes of God, namely His compassion along with HIs kindness, goodness, and love.

In a sense it’s a word that represents the nature of God. That He is a compassionate God. A God full of kindness, goodness, and as we’ve discussed, unfailing love.

God Himself describes Himself like this to Moses in Exodus 34.

Exodus 34:6 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

So, not only is God a God of unfailing love, but He’s a God of mercy and compassion.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so thankful for the mercy of God. To know that no matter how badly I fail or how far I fall short of His righteousness, that His mercy is available to me. That I can count on His compassion. That in the midst of my failure He’s not going to blow His top. He’s not going to write me off. That in my failure His mercy is and compassion are still available to me.

And if that’s all God’s unfailing love and mercy provided, that would be amazing. But there’s more to what God’s unfailing love and mercy provide. Because Solomon says not only are the available to us, but he goes on to say:

Lamentations 3:23 ESV

23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The word “New” here is an important word, because it conveys the idea that God’s faithfulness and mercies aren’t just available, but their made fresh to us every day.

In other words, God renews his faithfulness and mercies everyday.

Another way to say it, is that God makes his people see His faithfulness and mercies as for the first time everyday.

Think of it like this, imagine you go out and buy a new car, and as you drive it off the lot you take in the newness of the vehicle. The new car smell, the way the vehicle handles, the way your phone pairs with the system, the amazing acceleration of the vehicle. All that goes with driving that new vehicle for the firs time.

What God is saying here, is that your relationship with Him can be like that everyday. That every day you can re-experience the your relationship with God as if it were the first time.

Let me ask you something, do you remember the moment you gave your life to Christ. That moment when the burden was lifted. That moment when the joy of the Lord entered your heart. That moment when you experienced the hope that Jesus provides. That moment when you were born again.

God says you can experience that everyday. That everyday He can renew and refresh your relationship with Him as if it’s happening for the first time.

Which means our encounter with God each day never grows dull or repetitive. Each day can be as fresh, invigorating, and exciting as the first day you came to faith and first experienced the steadfast love, faithfulness, and mercy of God.

Which is why Solomon goes on to state “greta is your faithfulness” as he confirm the dependability of God’s unfailing love and mercy. It’s as sure as the sunrise.

I don’t know about you, but I want that kind of consistency in my daily life.

The question then is, how do you get the consistency of God’s unfailing love and His new mercies everyday?

Solomon tells us. He goes on to write:

Lamentations 3:24 ESV

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

What Solomon is saying here, is in order to obtain that constant, you have to do two things:

First, You have to make it your only constant.

Meaning, you have to tell yourself that as long as you have the constant of God’s unfailing love and His daily mercies, then that’s all you need. You have to say, “Soul, the Lord is your my and He’s all we need.”

In other words, no matter what else is happening in the world, if God’s unfailing love and His new mercies are your daily constant, then you don’t need any other constant.

Because if you have that, you have everything you need.

Second, you have to put your hope in it.

Solomon says, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

This represents our faith. Our faith that because God is all of this, that our trust, confidence, and hope now rest in Him.

What that means then is, when the world feels like it’s falling apart we have to daily put our hope and trust that God how will consistently provide for us. I love how the writer of Hebrews puts it:

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I don’t know what your need is tonight, but I do know this. That we serve a God who offers unfailing love and endless mercies. A God who will meet us wherever we are at and provide everything we need. Why? Because His steadfast love never ceases.

Amen.

Stand with me.