Several
years ago now I made a presentation to a group of widows entitled, “What next,
Lord?” It centered around those times in the lives of widows when they think
they have reached the end of their rope. Life has thrown them some serious
curve balls and, in anguish of spirit, they cry out to God, “What next, Lord?”
In other words, “What other calamity do you have up your heavenly sleeve for
me, God?” I don’t remember all that I shared, but I know that I shared
encouraging insights from God’s Word to those dear women, reminding them that
God’s mercies are new every morning. Recently a widow, referencing that speech,
asked me, “What does God’s mercy include?” I have been pondering that and
thinking how God’s mercies were made evident in the lives of women (some
widows) in the Bible.
There are so
many verses in the scriptures that speak of God’s mercies. The book of Psalms
frequently references the mercies of God, often coupled with loving kindness
and tender mercies. One verse that is often quoted is found in Lamentations
3:22-23: It is of the Lord’s mercies that
we are not consumed; His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
(MEV) Matthew Henry in his commentary reminds
us that one can become so used to grief that he forgets what joy feels like. He
goes on to remind us that these verses instill hope in the child of God. Things
may be tough in your life right now, but if it wasn’t for God’s mercy, they
would be worse and His compassion will never fail.
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| For my eyes have seen your salvation - Luke 20:30 |
Think with
me on just a few Bible women who experienced sorrow, disappointment, or testing
in their lives. .and then God’s mercy
was manifest. Do you recall Anna the prophetess mentioned in the book of Luke?
She had been a widow for many years and had dedicated her life to God’s work in
the temple, looking forward to the coming Messiah, but at her advanced age
surely not expecting that he would come in her lifetime. And then Jesus’
parents brought him to the temple to present him to the Lord and the hope
within Anna’s heart sprang to life and God poured out His tender mercies on her
and allowed her to hold His son in her arms. All those barren years of
widowhood were forgotten with one touch of the baby’s tiny fingers. God’s mercy
to Anna took the form of a small baby.
There’s the Old Testament story of David
and Bathsheba, the death of their child conceived out of marriage . . . and
then her son Solomon succeeded his father as king. God’s tender and loving
mercies poured forth in her life in redemptive and restorative fashion to her
grief and shame-scarred soul. Bathsheba’s mercy took the form of a kingly son.
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| II Samuel 21:11 |
Then, there’s the story of Rizpah whose sons were killed to avenge a broken
treaty, but whose bodies were disrespected by being left to rot on the gallows.
Rizpah lovingly guarded these bodies until her actions were brought to the
attention of King David who had them properly buried in their family plot. For
Rizpah, mercy took the form of a proper burial for her sons.
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| Eunice, the mother of Timothy along with the Eunice's mother Lois |
And last, I’m
reminded of Eunice, the mother of Timothy, who along with her mother, instilled
in Timothy a deep faith in God. I wonder if her faith was sometimes tested by
Timothy whose father, as far as we can tell, was not a believer. Perhaps he
questioned too much, or dabbled in the Greek teachings in his youth more than
she would have liked. But she continued in her mission to see him place his
trust in Jehovah God. For Eunice, as for many mothers, mercy took the form of a
faith-filled young adult, mighty in the spirit of God.
Just as grief and hardship come in many forms, so too, the mercies of God. I know that you have experienced the grief and loneliness of widowhood. Perhaps this has resulted in many kinds of hardships for some of you; some greater than others. The one thing that I can tell you with complete assurance is that God’s loving mercies will take whatever form you need them to. To answer the widow’s question, “What do God’s mercies include?” They include whatever God knows it will take to restore hope, life, and trust to your heart. And remember, they will not fail, they are everlasting.
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| Message by Shari Hervold |
