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kelly has to be at work at about 7:45am. she drops me off here at church each morning at about 7:30.

being the routined person i am, my work days start out mostly the same: deactivate the church’s security alarm, start a cup of tea (earl grey this morning, though i’ve been on quite an english breakfast kick…), turn on some lights, unlock the front door, turn on a computer or two, then head upstairs into our prayer room to do my morning devotions.

this morning, as i was walking up the stairs, a phrase from God’s word was recalled to my memory.

this i recall to my mind, therefore i have hope. through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
- Lamentations 3:21-23

it was a nice, refreshing moment between me and my Lord.

then, while reading Judges 11-16 i noticed a margin note that joined the thought:

then the philistines took him [samson] and put out his eyes and brought him down to gaza. they bound him with bronze fetters and he became a grinder in the prison.

however, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.
Judges 16:21-22

my margin note: the philistines probably thought that samson’s God wouldn’t restore him or even forgive him, thus they paid no mind when his hair grew again.

of course samson’s strength was not from the hair, it was from the Lord. but, for all the philistines knew, it was his hair that empowered him to destroy thousands. yet, they neglected to keep him shaven.

the philosophies and religions of the world have no forgiveness to offer. they have no restoration. and, they can’t really expect restoration or forgiveness…only a very desperate hope that things will work out despite our imperfections. that is a bleak and saddening thought.

we serve a God who forgives and restores. we serve a God whose mercies are new every morning.

great is His faithfulness.

what did you read today?

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bibling, know what you believe, margin notes | March 31st, 2008