Worth Every Tender Mercy

God is not who we imagine Him to be.God is who He says He is in His Word.God's Word is not filled with suggestions of how to livebut sacred commandments. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, has repeated, dire warnings forall 'who walk after the imaginations of their hearts' To live, to love and do our partWith strength and mind, to serve the LordIs no charge for the faint of heartOr those impatient for reward For oftentimes, what seems so smallOn the grand scale of recompenseIs not what it appears at allWhen trust chooses obedience Rather than the darling appealOf ‘happiness’ that money buysNo glamorous façade, the zealThat presses to the Greater Prize …God has prepared for theWho look beyond the god/laud of SelfTo heed the commandment to seek Who loathe the cunning Tempter bentOn preening false illusion’s sway/preyWith logic’s soothing argumentTo woo with Where Imagination deceivesThe proud with promised lands that blindWith sight, what faith alone perceives Where Is not yet, but someday will beWorth every (secret) tender mercy pouredInto vaults of eternity © Janet Martin Pride is a great enemy to obedienceAnd quite the cunning foe! Pride comes in so many forms...last month our church participated in a fund-raisedmeal-pack through Lifeline.When donating online, the default-setting for donationsis to publicly display the donation amount (why??)Mortified, I realized too late, after a few correctionsthat my 'private' setting had switched back to 'public'!I contacted Lifeline to please switch it to 'private'but I think they had more pressing concerns😅🙏(and it was very hard on my 'pride' to simply let it go)Pride is such a stinker and humility SO hard to get;the minute we think we have it we've lost it!!😂 Jesus taught us to give like this...Matt.6:4But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4              5