and Mountain Sermonette 84
Lamentations 3:22-23
The Disobedient New Shoes
“Because of the Lord’s great love (mercies), we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
When I was in my early twenties, I decided to wear contact lens, but they burned and reddened my eyes, so after several visits to my local optometrist, he set me up with a colleague of his at the University of Alabama School of Optometry to see if they could help solve this ongoing problem. Well, the doctor there confirmed my local optometrist’s diagnosis that I had a problem with the inner eyelids which would make my wearing contacts very difficult. So, I traded my new contacts for my old pair of glasses and have been happy to this day.
However, when dad, mom, and I left the University on that cold morning, we were hungry because we had not had time to eat breakfast, so dad found a Sambo’s Restaurant (Similar to a “Big Boy’s) located on a nice little corner street in the suburbs of Birmingham. But when we entered through the front door the excitement began! Mom had on new pair of shoes all accessorized by her big winter coat, and she started slipping and sliding all over the restaurant’s tile floor so much so that Dad said, “Jeanine, you need to stand up straight because people here are going to think you’re drunk!” But mama couldn’t help it and she started to laugh and so did I, but dad wasn’t! The other problem was the restaurant was full, no one had come to take us to a table, and the only booth available was in the far-left corner of the room. But eventually, dad was able to get mother to that booth and we all sat down, but before a waitress could come over, Dad had gotten up found the manager and told him he was going to have to do something about those “slick” floors” because his wife couldn’t stand up on them! The manager very politely told dad that they had indeed dressed the floors that morning with a new cleaner that was causing other people to slip and slide as well and that they would do something about it. So, after our meal which we enjoyed, we left, mother made it to the car just fine, and I believe dad began to laugh about it, too.
The Bible says God has the best floor plan for His children to walk upon; one not slippery but solid and stable. The flooring is God’s unchanging faithfulness to His children (those who have personally received His son Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord), and our walking (living out our lives) on that floor is in the loving, worshipping, and obeying Him in faithful trust simply because of who He is!
Christian, can you and I really imagine what the prophet Jeremiah is getting at here? Each morning, you can eagerly and confidently step out your front door and receive unto yourself your new package filled with all the unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness, courage, compassion, and provision the Lord has for you that day: Marked, “God’s Overnight Delivery.” Why? Because He is faithful, and He loves you so much!
Pastor Louie