November 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Lamentations 3:1-23:

¹I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
²He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
³Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
⁴My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
⁵He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
⁶He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
⁷He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
⁸Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
⁹He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
¹⁰He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
¹¹He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
¹²He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
¹³He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
¹⁴I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
¹⁵He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
¹⁶He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
¹⁷And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
¹⁸And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
¹⁹Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
²⁰My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
²²It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Devotional

God's faithfulness is, indeed, very great. It reaches unto the clouds, and is established in the very heavens. But it is also with God's children in the midst of the congregation. It will never fail, and it is to all generations. "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."

He is faithful when He calls us. "God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

He is faithful in forgiving our sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

He is faithful in keeping us in the hour of temptation. "God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to hear it."

He is faithful in establishing us and keeping us from evil, and finally confirms us unto the end, that we may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore to him he all the praise.

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with ex­ceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and maj­esty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

Prayer

O God, great is Thy faithfulness. All Thy promises are yea and are Amen in Christ Jesus. We thank Thee that we know, that if we put our trust in Thee we shall never be put to shame. May we then come with boldness to the throne of grace, and out of Thy fulness may we receive all things needful for body and soul. May we never, never deny Thee: but may we ever be faithful, faithful in confessing Thy name, faithful unto death, so that we may receive the crown of life. Hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ps. 36:5; 89:2, 5; 89:33, 119:90; Deut. 7:9; 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:9; 1 Cor. 10-13; 2 Thess. 3:3; I Cor. 1:8; Jude 24:25.

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