Join us for a profound Bible study as we address the eternal hope found in Christ. Learn how God’s portion is a source of blessings and confidence for His people. This episode encourages us to reflect on our struggles and reliance on God’s provisions. Embrace the stability that faithfulness and divine portions provide for our lives, and respond to God’s grace with renewed commitment and biblical hope.
A lesson during the time of lamenting will actually bring some joy. It’s a lesson of old, but a promise today awaits us, and we’re going to study that together from the International Gospel Hour. I’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings to all of you. Thank you for being with us today here with our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. You know, I love to share with you some good works in churches of Christ, and I want to mention very quickly a website, addedtothechurch.com. That’s one long word, addedtothechurch.com. This is a great effort by our friends DJ and Sarah Curry, that they live in a great area of West Virginia, and they have some exceptional articles by them and others. And get this, friends, you can go to their website, addedtothechurch.com, and subscribe free to their two digital publications, The Mountain Messenger and The New Testament Expositor. So please check them out at addedtothechurch.com. Once again, that’s addedtothechurch.com. And now, friends, our reading from Lamentations 3, 22-24. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him. Concerning the Lord’s compassions and mercies, Lamentations 3.23 reminds us they are new every morning, and great is the faithfulness of God. You see, Israel was not consumed due exclusively to the compassion and mercies of God. And His response to them was evident, well, in the book of Judges, for example. How often you and I see that cycle in the book of Judges. I mean, number one, the people leave God. And then things get so bad, they cry out to God. And so he raises up a judge and delivers them from their affliction. And then after a while, they’re doing good. But after a while, they slowly turn back to the idols and nations that led them astray in the first place. So our consideration today from Lamentations 3.23, they are new every morning. I want us to think about that phrase. Now contextually, as said, it is the compassions and mercies of the Lord and how they are needed and they are reminded there to Israel at that time. So just ahead, I want you now to consider some other things that are indeed new every morning. But first, I’m going to defer to our J-Web. Here are a few details about our website.
SPEAKER 01 :
Our website is internationalgospelhour.com. That’s internationalgospelhour.com. Check out our website and see all that’s available. We have a number of biblical resources. You can also listen to our other broadcasts, view our TV program, request our newsletter, and ask for our Bible study by mail, and so much more. And get this, it’s all free at internationalgospelhour.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
New every morning. What is new every morning? The beauty of faithfulness. And great is His faithfulness. How Isaiah 25 and verse 1 states, Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and true. Throughout the book of Psalms, we see the psalmist, how they continually praise the Lord for His faithfulness. The faithful creator, he is referred in 1 Peter 4, verse 19. And Hebrews 10, 23, he is faithful that promised. Friends, no matter what one faces, the assurance that God is faithful, meaning he stands beside what he does. He provides salvation through Christ and his church. And think about this, friends. What changes, therefore, should we make with our faithfulness? You see, the faithfulness of God will stand, what He provides, what He does. God does it all, but yet we need to respond to His grace and accept it. So what changes should we make with our faithfulness? Second, what is new every morning? What about the portion that is provided of the Lord? The Lord is my portion. Friends, let me partake of any portion the Lord grants, for it’s bound to be good. There are times when I will visit churches, and if I’m familiar with a cook who has prepared a meal that day, and I know how good her cooking is, I will ask her, what did you bring? I have a beloved friend. Her name is Emily. And if I am at a dinner where Emily has prepared a meal, I want to know what she brought because the girl can cook. She brings it. And I’m grateful to Emily. And when I see her, I say, okay, point out to me what you brought because she’s just an exceptional cook. I always look for what my wife may prepare and take for a dinner because I know it will be good. And so we have those times to where we know the portion, we know of what is there, and maybe it’s a favorite meal or a favorite dessert or something that we like. Well, the Lord is my portion. We should always partake of anything the Lord serves up. You know, concerning the word portion, I love the thought of the late William Wilson in his Old Testament word studies when he takes that word and he says, God is the portion of his people, not only for his care of them and their receiving of blessings from him, but for their confidence in him. You see, they accept God’s care and they’re receiving. They see how it works. But their confidence in Him, knowing that His portion, I have confidence in what God will give me when I’m there. In a moment that I need Him more. James says in James 1.17, Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. Psalm 119.57, You are my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep thy words. Friend, God provides. Oh, absolutely. Yes, amen. But let’s think on this. Now, are we partaking of the portion God grants? Or are we declining that portion? Are we trying in our lamenting, in our struggles, to address it all on our own rather than partake of something God can provide? Number three. What is new every morning? What about the hope that’s in Christ? His faithful portions to us? His faithfulness? His portions? Oh yes, friends. That shows us great hope. And even when… Jeremiah says, therefore, I will hope in Him. Therefore, I hope in Him. What God has provided, I hope in Him because I know more will come. The Hebrew writer in Hebrews 6.19 says, Hope is that great anchor for the soul. It’s sure and steadfast. It keeps us when that anchor is dropped and the storms arise. Hope keeps us pressing onward. So think about this, friends. Do we have that hope? Hope that is not just, well, I hope things will get better. I guess so. No, no, no, friends. True biblical hope is an assurance that is brought upon by obedience and trust in the Lord’s faithfulness and His portions. So, seeing what is new every morning, I ask again. What changes should we make with our faithfulness? Are we partaking of what God has given? Do we have true biblical hope, not a mere guess, but a God-given hope? Friends, maybe with our lamenting, our struggles, and our problems, maybe we need to make some changes within ourselves in order to change and to deal with those things. Through our studies here at International Gospel Hour, oh friends, we love to challenge our Bible knowledge and our thinking. We love to encourage people, try our studies. They’re free. You’re not under any obligation. And what I want to do here, I want to share with you an online video study that my good friend and brother Rob Whitaker does. And I think you will be greatly encouraged with that study. It’s titled, Does It Matter? And I’m going to defer to our J-Web. He’ll let you know how you can receive that study or what you need to do to reach out to us so we can send you that link. And it’s free. Again, our J-Web.
SPEAKER 01 :
Does It Matter? is a free online video study. The most important question in all the world is, where will you go when you die? This question and others are addressed from God’s Word. May we send you the link and you give it a try? Just call toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, email, and just say, Does It Matter? Again, call toll-free at 855-444-6988. And please leave your name, email, and just say, Does it matter? You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, email, and type Does it matter? in the message blank. We will send the link to you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Friends, I really believe you will enjoy that study. Again, it is an online video study. You can watch one video and take a break and watch the next one. But I really believe that you’ll enjoy that study of Does It Matter? And we have a number of studies that are absolutely free here at International Gospel Hour. Matter of fact, friends, they are all free. We try to share with you good works of other places and share with you study materials that we provide absolutely free. We’ve been greatly encouraged of the response of our listeners. So many of you will call us and let us know where you hear our broadcast and you let us know of the material that you need. Matter of fact, if I could ask this, if… If none of the material or anything is of interest to you today, at least give us a call at 855-444-6988 and just say, Hey, I heard your broadcast on the radio, Ian. If you can’t think of the call letters, that’s fine. Just tell us where you’re listening to our broadcast from. It may be a podcast option you’re listening to us or over-the-air radio throughout the world, internet radio. Let us know where you hear our broadcast. We love to know it. and we appreciate all of you tuning in to our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour. We hope the study today from Lamentations has been of help to you, and we’ll do this together at another time. But for now, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening today to God Be the Glory and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.
