Rev Renewal

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8)”

“All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you (Psalm 145:10)”

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.  The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made (Psalm 145:13)”

The year 2020 is now half over. There has been a great deal taking place in these first six months that has never taken place in previous years.  Many have encountered a love/hate relationship with the year 2020. What will the next six months hold for us?  Anything is possible.

Since anything is possible, this can take on a myriad of meanings.  Maybe there will be some great things taking place.  Perhaps there will continue to be some challenges we must endure.  Yet, through all the ups and downs that we have already encountered, there still are constants present in our life.

The Psalmist declares that the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  This proclamation has never changed.  Through the chaos, pain, struggle, and uncertainty present today, the promise of grace, compassion, and love available from God through Jesus Christ is still available to us.  In fact, the need for this promise is possibly stronger as we face our current situations.

The Psalmist then continues all you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.  This is a call for us to praise the Lord no matter our circumstances.  I am aware this is never easy when faced with difficult situations.  However, I do believe as we offer praise to the Lord, those difficult situations may be softened as the Lord becomes more present with us.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.  In the presence of tragedy and darkness, we can find hope in the Psalmist’s words, knowing that though the earth may pass away, God’s kingdom will carry on.   We also can lean on the Psalmist’s declaration the Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

It may not appear that 2020 has anything good to show for itself. It also may appear that the remainder of 2020 will continue to reveal more intense challenges.  Through it all, though, may we lean on the promises declared by the Lord.  For these promises never change and are continually available to provide us with hope and a sense of healing.  No matter what we face, God’s love, grace, and compassion will be as rich to us today as it was for those who first experienced it in the beginning.

Blessings,
Pastor Arlyn ><>