Welcome! Whether this is your first time or you are a regular reader, we pray God meets you in the midst of these pages. We don’t write from a position of “having arrived”. Rather, we share what God is doing in our lives as broken jars of clay in the hands of the Heavenly Potter who holds us, forms us, and sends us forth to make disciples.
This month the Facets team decided to engage with our question differently. We’ve never taken a passage of the same Scripture and explored it together, but from our own unique perspective. Tune in throughout November to see what Jennifer, Kim, and our guest contributor have to say. It’s always interesting to see the themes God brings forward.
There is much to be grateful for, and our passage of Scripture reminds us of that this holiday season. It’s a longer than normal excerpt, but I encourage you to read it through. Please don’t skim it like a too-thin coat of paint that doesn’t cover. Take your time. Linger with it. Let the words saturate your spirit as you consider God and what He wants to say to you through it.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.
23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.
26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.
─Psalm 136 NKJV
Of course, our ministry team couldn’t help but notice the theme repeated ensuring none of us would miss it. For His mercy endures forever.
Those words got us thinking, what attribute of God’s endures forever – and which were we presently most thankful for?
Today, it is one word. He keeps bringing me around to it.
Faithful.
God is so faithful!
In His mercy, His faithfulness endures forever.
It’s His mercy that helped (and helps) me to be in a position to experience His faithfulness. It’s because He is good, that I can experience His goodness.
He is faithful. Forever. On our best day, we can’t say we are faithful 100% of the time. But God is. Forever! He is Steady and True. Constant. Never-Changing. He won’t leave us by the wayside. He meets us along the way, wherever we are at, wherever He finds us.
And in His faithfulness, He doesn’t leave us there.
I have so much to be grateful to God for, so much! Where He found me, isn’t where He left me. It’s important for me to remember, to pause and reflect, and then to ponder where He might bring me next. Until I die, He will be faithful to transform me. You too. He loves us that much!
When I lean in and “let Him” change me, it’s a beautiful thing. Transformation takes cooperation.
A few weeks back God spoke to me in an intimate, sweet way, helping me to remember just how faithful He has been in my life. From when we first met to where I find myself today, I stand amazed. It’s really quite incredible what God can do in His faithfulness. When we stop throwing fits. When we lean in and listen to His sweet whispers. When we let Him lead. He is faithful to lead us to green pastures. The places of peace and love, joy and hope, strength and perseverance.
Often, God catches me off guard. He takes my breath away. Not always am I able to articulate it. He’s God after all, and not always explainable.
But if you notice when you read the numerous examples in Psalm 136, time and time again God was faithful to Israel. He is STILL FAITHFUL to His children today.
I stood in the crowd, lights dim and stage lit up as I listened to the words I’d heard and connected with even before I’d officially crossed the line of faith. I identified with the woman in the song, ripped jeans, dented fender, a little worse for the wear when I’d met God.
You may be familiar with Francesca Battistelli. You may not, but it was her song Free to Be Me. It’s as if that song was a promise to me back before I could believe it. (Click here if you’d like to listen to it.)
I felt like damaged goods. Perhaps, my shelf life expired. Past my prime. Used up. Broken.
But somewhere, somehow God broke through my brokenness. He gave me hope that He had a good future for me in spite of the fact that I was a bit banged up.
He is faithful. So very faithful. Take hope if this is where you find yourself, feeling like damaged goods, expired, past your prime, used up and broken.
It’s not true if you let the Heavenly Potter fashion you into what He intended all along. He wants you to feel free to be you, who He really intended for you to be all along. (Me too.)
I stood in the concert, so touched. Overwhelmed, I stood next to my husband, worshiping God with joy, dancing with movement and in spirit knowing God had brought me out into this spacious place. In Christ. I am not who I once was, but I am most free to be me, who He really intended me to be.
Floods of gratitude and incredulity at the contrast of where I once was to where God has brought me, I cried silent tears of joy. Spirit tears. With God my life has turned out much better than I could have hoped or imagined back then.
God is faithful.
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
─Psalm 136:4 NKJV
God is still in the business of doing GREAT WONDERS in and through you and me. He is Faithful. He’s not just faithful to some. He is faithful to all. To you. To me. To all. Let Him show you. Let Him remind you. Let Him reveal His faithfulness to you.
Perhaps one day about a decade later you’ll listen to lyrics He’ll use as a spiritual mile marker showing you just how far He has brought you. He’ll etch into your memory who you were, who you are, and who you are becoming.
This is a message for us all, His beautiful masterpieces being molded into His image. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is Royalty. And so are we!
This is what I believe God wants me to leave you with, no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of understanding who Christ is, how much He loves you, and His faithfulness to bring us into the fullness of our identity as His sons and daughters.
He is Royalty. So are we … dents and all. Don’t let the enemy steal one more day of your destiny. He will try, but God is Faithful and True, and the enemy has already been defeated. The enemy can’t win, because he’s already lost.
If you are in Christ (having accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior) you are an heir to the throne. Royalty. Because God is faithful!
As I continued to stand in the crowd singing along, a song came on I hadn’t heard before. It’s from Francesca’s newest album. (Here is a link to the song, Royalty.)
Another spiritual mile marker. It was as if God leaned in and whispered to my heart, You know who you are, Tracy. You are mine. And that makes you royal. More spirit tears. Sweet tears at the Heavenly Potter’s tender touch.
Talk about being free to be me! God is faithful. You are royal, sweet friend. Royal!
And in case you need a spiritual mile marker of your own, listen to the song and claim it for yourself too. Treasure it up in your heart. Because God wants you to know you are royal.
We are, we are, we are … royalty.
His mercy endures forever. Isn’t He faithful?
Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.
