Happy New Year

Do you trust in the abundant grace He has extended towards you through His Son?

The challenge – can you​​ look at the past year and praise God for His faithfulness? ​​ Amidst illness, death, unemployment, and uncertainty,​​ (and even a shortage of toilet paper!),​​ God remains faithful. ​​ When​​ we do not look with eyes that are focused on His sovereignty and perfect plan, we miss clarity.​​ 

If you have been to an optometrist, you may recall the process of looking through different lenses as the doctor asks you if 1 or 2, or 3 or 4,​​ is better. ​​ The ability to see clearly is valuable – both as we navigate the physical world we live in and as we grow in our spiritual understanding of God. ​​ Any eye doctor is able to correct our vision through prescriptive lenses. ​​ Only God is able to cause the eyes of our heart to focus on His truths. ​​​​ 

Jeremiah​​ penned​​ the book of Lamentations. ​​ It is an account of the sorrows of the Jewish nation, of​​ their​​ suffering and misery​​ because​​ they turned​​ from God. ​​ Jeremiah​​ also recounts the nations​​ repentance and submission,​​ their​​ prayer and hope of God’s future promises for deliverance. ​​ A​​ section in chapter 3 of this book​​ reads, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. ​​ The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. ​​ [They] are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. ​​ ‘The Lord is my portion’, says my soul, ‘therefore I have hope in Him’. ​​​​ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him”, Lamentations 3:22-25.

Thomas O. Chisholm​​ wrote​​ the​​ words​​ to the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”,​​ in 1923 as he contemplated God’s faithfulness over his lifetime. ​​ The lyrics were​​ then​​ set to music and​​ almost​​ 100 years later​​ the tune and words are​​ still​​ widely recognized.

Great is Thy faithfulness,​​ Great is Thy faithfulness,​​ 

Morning by morning new mercies I see,​​ 

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,​​ 

Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.

We have​​ absolute​​ hope! ​​ God is faithful. ​​ He shows mercy and compassion towards those He loves. ​​ Do you trust in the​​ abundant​​ grace He has extended towards you​​ through His Son? ​​ As you seek Him you will be blessed – even through difficulty. ​​ 

Has your trust in​​ God​​ grown this past year? ​​ Have you witnessed souls turn towards​​ His truths? ​​ Sometimes we must lose the blessings we have in order to recognize their value. ​​ Has your gratefulness increased? ​​ Perhaps those things we​​ once​​ expected are now treasured more fully. ​​ Difficulty has produced a new endurance​​ and a higher level of thankfulness in many households and relationships. ​​ In all this, praise God. ​​ He is faithful!

 

Focus Heavenward.

Author: Sharyn Balogh

You know it's difficult to write about yourself. The most important fact I can disclose is that I'm saved by God's grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My desire is to live a life honoring to God in response for the gift of salvation I've been given. This is so much easier said than done! I struggle daily with right choices, right words, right thoughts, and right actions. My best and only defense against sin is the power of God in me and for that I am inexpressibly thankful. I have three amazing grown-up children who have responded to God's call in their lives along with their spouses. One of the great joys of my life is knowing my children and their families strive to serve and follow God. My grandchildren are another wonderful joy in my life! My husband and I are blessed with four beautiful grandchildren to date with another expected very soon on September 12th. We also are thankful for the comforting knowledge that an additional three of our grandchildren, a set of twins at three months gestation and a little boy, Isaac, at four and a half months gestation, are in our Savior's presence. I have attended the same church since the day my eyes were opened to Truth over thirty years ago. How fortunate it is to have been led by God’s hand immediately to a church body that follows the Bible, no man-made doctrines, just the Word clear and strong. My husband is my best friend, my confidant, my encourager, and I still can't believe how blessed I am by his example of love and generosity towards everyone around him. He is God-fearing, compassionate, and kind and I have learned so much from him. I am a daughter to my almost 92 year-old mother, sister to three brothers, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, neighbor and friend. That means, whomever is reading this, we probably have something in common! I love every unique role I have been placed in. I'm frequently stretched and sometimes feel like silly putty that wants to bounce right back into my comfort zone. My greatest ambition is to be a follower of Jesus; a light that shines for Him at all times, in all circumstances. So, there it is, a bit about me. I guess I was able to write about myself after all! However, my existence cannot be defined without Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. His love has permeated my life to His glory and my eternal thankfulness.