8-16-2025

 Good Morning All,

      Psalm 136:4; “Give thanks to the only one who does miraculous things—because his mercy endures forever.”

    As I sat in the mall eating lunch the other day, I watched an event occur that was something to watch.  A young family went up to one of the food counters.  It was a dad, a mom and three kids probably age 6 on down.  They went and got tacos and Chinese food and the one boy about 4 or so didn’t seem to like the choices that were being made for him. Soon he was making it plain to almost everyone in the food court that he didn’t like the situation at all.  He started yelling, crying, wailing, and screaming all at the same time.

    It is always a challenge once the children outnumber the parents.  As soon as one acts up the others seem to join in.  Soon all three were fussing; the mother looked mortified.  It always seems like everyone in the whole city watches as your child acts up and there is never a hole to hide in. I watched and wondered how this was going to pan out; it didn’t look good.  As soon as the food came, the mom took the two who weren’t as loud and sat down and fed them; score two for the mom.  Yet the loud 4-year-old was still going strong.  The father took him to the side and tried to talk to him calmly, trying to settle him down but it wasn’t working.  The father tried to reason with him but the little guy was 4; you can’t reason with a 4-year-old.  The 4-year-old finally pulled out the big gun and yelled, “I HATE YOU!”  The father simply kneeled down in front of the boy and hugged him tight and told him, “That’s ok, I will always love you even if you hate me.”  I was truly impressed.

    We are just like that 4-year-old.  Our sinful actions yell out to God for everyone to hear, “I HATE YOU!”  I know that sounds harsh but it is true.  Yet just like that father, God holds us close and tells us that he loves us.  Not just when we behave but even when we don’t, even when we act like spoiled selfish children.  God’s love began before you were born and will continue after you are dead.  This is his mercy for us.  Mercy is like the love that a mother has for her nursing child as he is held close to her bosom.  It is unconditional and begins even before the birth of the child.  It is deep and personal.  It exists for us at all times even when we don’t deserve it.

    God’s love is never ending and in limitless supply.  His love is there when we are angry or sad, lost or confused.  It is there when we feel lost or abandoned.  At all times, God continually hugs us and calmly tells us, “I will always love you even if you are angry, even if you are sad or lost or confused.  I will always love you.”

Gracious Father, your love for us lifts us up as the tide lifts a boat.  Through your mercy we have our salvation.  We have hope for tomorrow and comfort for today.  We ask that you give extra love to those who are truly lost and confused, saddened by this world.  Comfort them we ask in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret