Day-By-Day Fearless Living: Contemplating the Old

        I trust you had a meaningful Christmas and are getting ready this week to usher in a New Year, 2016. In preparation for the New Year, I was contemplating God’s mercy and faithfulness during 2015. Tangibly we can see ways God has provided for us physically but we need to consider all the ways He has provided for us spiritually as well. All the times of discouragement, despair, weariness, lostness and purposelessness that come in a year and then how He has given encouragement, hope, strength, courage, guidance and purpose in His work. The examples are different for each of us. Isn’t that amazing, we have such a personal Creator God.

        We can pray for God to show us His mercy as we struggle. In Exodus 33:19 God is preparing to show a glimpse of his glory to Moses. “And the LORD said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have compassion.’”   God’s mercy is given at His discretion and is not earned by us in any way. Moses needed to see who God was and God in His mercy revealed a glimpse of himself to Moses. Micah 8:18 adds another aspect of God’s mercy for our thoughts. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” Have you every thought that God delights to show mercy to you? It is part of His character to be merciful and delight in showing mercy.

        As you think on God’s mercies to you in 2015, praise and thank Him that you were the recipient of His delight and that He chose you to receive special mercies exactly when you needed them.

Grateful for His mercies in 2015,

Linda

God was especially merciful to me this year in allowing me to travel to these places with good friends. He is truly a gracious and merciful God