"How Did You Make It?"

Scripture: "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22 & 23

As we look at our lives today, many of us know that if man had their way, we would not have many of the things we possess. We would not have the job making good money and being able to feed our families. We would not have the nice home where we can dwell in and have family and friends over. We would not have the vehicles we currently drive that gets us from Point A to Point B. We would not even possess the degrees that hang on our walls, thus creating opportunities and displaying our knowledge in a given field. On this Thursday morning, I am blessed to know that man does not have the final say! I am blessed to know that it's because of God that allowed us to live, breathe, and have our being. I am blessed to know that I have made it because of God and I know you're blessed because you know that you made it because of God! Today's text provides further fuel to this fire of understanding of how did you make it.

As I was riding on the Metro on today, the Lord directed my path to today's focus book. This book being the book of Lamentations. Lamentations literally means "funeral songs" and this book was written by the weeping prophet himself, Jeremiah. He was lamenting over how things went down in Judah because God's people were disobedient. If truth were told, we have all lamented about something we have done wrong within our lives, but I thank God that He is still good to us! Even within these "funeral songs", God has provided us some encouragement and some light on how we made it.

The text begins by saying, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not". Lord, have mercy! That should make you give Him praise! As I am writing, I can recall the mercy of God covering me while I was in school and I was messing up. I can recall the mercy of God when I made some blunders within my marriage. I can recall the mercy of God when I was struggling to pay bills. When I think about the mercy of God, it covered me and I did not go down in my mess! If each and every one of you could think about one thing you dealt with, you can have my testimony and say that God's mercy covered you! The thing that comes along with His mercy is His compassion. Because of His compassion, we were not consumed. Because of His compassion, that failed marriage/relationship did not consume you. Because of His compassion, that failed marketing plan for your business did not consume you. Because of His compassion, that failure in school did not consume you. It's His compassion and His mercy that allowed you to make it!

Lastly, Jeremiah allows us to understand something else about why you can make it. He says that "They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness". What's new every morning? God's mercy! Whatever sins you done on yesterday, His mercy has wiped your slate clean! Whatever sins you will have on today, His mercy will wipe your slate clean! Whatever sins you will have on tomorrow, His mercy will wipe your slate clean! In other words, as the song says, "If you first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again!" God is giving us a chance to try again everyday! The last portion of this verse is remarkable in its own right. It says, "Great is thy faithfulness". Where would be without a faithful God? Where would we be if God was not faithful to us? Where would be if God didn't show up in our situations? Where would we be if God didn't help us? I tell you where: on a road straight to Hell!

In closing, I am thankful today to know that it's because of God, His mercy, His compassion, and His faithfulness, that I have made it this far in life. I know each of you have the same testimony. When things start getting rough, remember that you have a compassionate, faithful, and merciful God who wants you all to Himself! He wants to continue to help you make it! God is not like man, though you mess up today, He wipes your slate clean and you can move on! How can you not praise a God like that?