Pastor's Column 1/22/2023

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed; for His 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.” Lamentations 3:22-24, NIV

“God Does Not Fail!”

The lives we live in the human realm are subject to failure and success. How often we may hear the axiom, “Failure is not an option;” we must realize as imperfect humans, failure could always be a possibility. The psalmist said, “A person at their best, faces the challenge of failure (cf. Psalm 39:5b, Amplified). The fact that we don’t always succeed at something, does not mean, we can’t attain the great things God has created us for. There is no time when we fall short of a pursuit, where wisdom does not teach us an invaluable lesson. Such lessons, whether through success or failure, help us become “better” individuals. In many instances, we journey on in life to attain the “best” possible. The Apostle Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:10b, NKJV). Some people may see failure as a setback; or they may think some disadvantage will derail their future. However, every moment of challenge can become a catalyst motivating us to trust in a God who does not fail. Even with a debilitating chronic illness, Paul became the greatest missionary of his time; and he penned nearly half of the New Testament. The prophet Jeremiah lived during a foreboding period. Exile was the result of Israel’s failure. Isolation, death, devastation and famine prevailed. Peering across the horizon of disaster, Jeremiah saw the unfailing compassion and faithfulness of God. Each morning brought God’s “new mercies.” The God who does not fail, is tender enough to teach us how we can have hope, in our periods of exile and loss. It is not enough for any of us to merely give up when our best, or misguided efforts fail us. It is our faith that can pierce the ominous clouds that temporarily cancel the brightness of our hope. We wait for God, because our hope is with Him!