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Gently Opened Arms
Yenny Kartika Official Writer
1173Lamentations 3:22-23
"Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Bible Reading for a Year: Psalms 52; Mark 2; Isaiah 57-58
The song ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ has inspired Bob Lyte, the late missionary, during his life. This song is inspired from catchwords from the book of Lamentations. After telling God his deepest sorrow and grief, Jeremiah prayed, “The Lord is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.”
This song is a flashback of how God took care of Bob, his wife Louise, and his son. Bob remembered how God worked to provide everything they needed during his first mission trip in 1945. For the first six months, Bob and Louise were forced to wear whatever they could find, and they had to wait patiently for shipment to deliver.
During the time of delay, he heard the song sung by his neighbor. At the very moment, he and his wife prayed to God, asked for His mercies. And then God’s arms gently opened; they received the shipment carried by a chariot with horses. Bob has learnt that God has already prepared the shipment’s delivery as well as the song—they came timely as he needed God’s help.
The event became a remembrance to him that God always saw and provided. He later experienced God through other events. He found blessings, both big and small, that strengthened him every day.
Bob was like Jeremiah who decided to stay lean on God during Jerusalem’s times of trouble (read Lamentation 3). In the difficult times, God works as long as we do not lose hope. Count God’s faithfulness and think of His mercies. Remember how many times God’s arms gently open to deliver you. Realize that everything has been well established. Those are reasons for you to keep trusting Him.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! (Hymn)
