Marvelous Mercies

Gò0dNews for Men

Marvelous Mercies

by Donald Cantrell

Iwas feeling a little nostalgic the other day and I thought about one of those old metal or aluminum water dippers that people used to have. My grandmother had one, and several of my relatives had them around their houses. Some were inside, while some hung on a post outside. It has been ages since I saw one, so I went on eBay to see if I could find one, and sure enough, there was one for sale. It looked just like those from when I was a young child, but when I magnified the photos, I noticed that the dipper or ladle had dents on it. So, after reading a bit more, I found out that the dipper was used, but it was still useful.

Lamentations 3:21-23, KJV, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

That used dipper reminded me of myself and my standing before God. I am so thankful that He does not write me off because of my flaws, failures, inadequacies, and sins. The Lord is faithful in His mercies, and His forgiveness is fresh; it will never be exhausted or denied. One could easily assume that most of us are like that used water dipper—we have survived life, though it has dealt us some rough blows. God still finds value and usefulness in our lives. You are most likely harder on yourself than God is, for He knows that we are feeble and weak.

Last fall, I was a football referee for the Murray County Recreation Department and I was humorously reminded of how God treats His children. As we all know, football is a rough sport. It is a game of collision, and often times a kid will literally be knocked flat on his back while heaving and gasping for air. That is, until his dad runs in from the sideline. In 99 out of 100 cases, that dad will look down at that boy, asking him if anything is broken, and the kid will usually whimper “no” as the dad lifts him up and wipes him off before sending him right back into the game. As I think about that scenario, that is exactly what the Lord does with His children.

Whenever we get knocked down, due to our own dealings or because of some unexpected mishap, the Lord immediately comes upon the scene, checks us out, brushes

us off, and puts us back into the game. I am so glad for His marvelous mercies, because they are fresh and faithful. If you need them today, they will be there, but they will also be there tomorrow. The next time you mess up, go to the Lord, ask Him to forgive you, and allow Him to place you back in the game. Contrary to popular opinion, the Lord is not out to get you, He is out to love you and wants to extend His marvelous mercy unto you. Will you allow Him to do that?

About The Author Donald Cantrell is a lifelong native of Murray county and has been pastoring and preaching since 1980. He has had the honor of publishing over thirty books and his sermon material is sold all over the world by various online companies. If you visit his house any weekend in the fall you will find them watching the “Florida Gators or the New England Patriots… Chomp Chomp.”