New Year – 2022 – New Mercies by Pastor Scott
LW Scriptures & Reflection – December 30, 2021
New Mercies to those who seek Him
Are you looking forward to anything new in the year of our Lord, 2022? Are you in need of anything that only He can provide? Are you seeking anything that lines up with His kingdom? Are you seeking the Lord for any specific provision or purpose?
The prophet Jeremiah was in deep distress; he needed to be refreshed & restored; his mind was focused on afflictions, bitterness, and discouragement as his heart & mind strayed, but he sought God and found hope. In Lamentations 3:21-25 we read:
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies/compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him
Psalm 23 is one of the most popular and often quoted verses in all of the Holy Scriptures. Yet sometimes our familiarity with a passage keeps us from hearing and understanding the deep meaning and promises of God’s Word. The first three verses of this beautiful Psalm provide us with a picture of seeking God and being refreshed & restored to pursue right living.
To be restored and to walk in righteousness for God’s reputation are gifts of God’s mercy and the desire of my heart 2022:
The LORD is my shepherd; I will not be in need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
Psalm 23:1-3 (NASB)
With the LORD being my Shepherd – a decision to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and listen for His voice
We will not be in want because we lack nothing from His hand – the main point & provision of the Psalm
The green pastures represent having eaten our fill; we can truly rest because our basic needs are being fulfilled
The quiet waters literally mean “waters of rest” – the place where we can be refreshed and restored
The restored soul is more than refreshed; a lost person who has been found by the Shepherd returns to the fold
A righteous path is the walk of a right relationship – seeking His kingdom and His righteousness first
For the sake of His Name; living for His glory, honor, purposes and His reputation leads to a life of fulfillment
Life is not fulfilled by lying down in a pasture but by walking on a path of righteousness; His rest restores & renews our strength.
“Whoever follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21
As we return to our study in Galatians on January 9, let us remember to not turn away from the grace & mercy of God by turning to works of righteousness or by walking in our sinful nature, rather let us walk in the Spirit and not set aside grace (Gal. 2:21).
Do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Blessings, health & safety to you all this New Year as we seek to live out God’s grace & righteousness together,
Pastor Scott
