Reflection Scripture:
Because of the Lord’s faithful love, we do not perish, for His mercies never end, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.
Lamentations 3:22-24
Preface
It has been over one month, since my brother’s transition, and ten days since we celebrated his homecoming service in December. This week has been the most difficult for me. At the beginning of this week, around the third watch, [12 am to 3 am] I began to pray that God would lead me into the Holy Scriptures in an effort of ministering to my deeply listless yet aching soul.
This blog post below, is the result of my study and interpretation of Lamentations 3:22-24 [ in bold and italic print], along with other supportive Scripture references [italized only] as a result of the initiatory bereavement journey of my brother Mark’s, expiration.
It is my intention, to record in writing while praying back to God, the very spiritual truths that He disclosed to me during our intimate time together.
I pray that in some helpful way, these personal reflections minister to you or someone close to you who also, may be grieving the loss of a loved one. Please feel free to comment or provide some feedback. Thank you so much for your attention and participation.
Grace and Peace
The Graciousness and Benevolence of our God
A Sorrowful Song of Praise
Heavenly Father, please consider this, my mournful prayer as my innermost soul is weeping for my brother. Thou, O God is more than able to see that my soul is bowed down, as my misery is that of being utterly homeless and in dreadful despair.
Coming before You in my brokenness, I am reminded of all of my fears and inhibitions. In all of my afflictions, even as I reflect upon the life of my brother, the gleam of hope has penetrated my darkness, as I take hold of the spirit of humility that has overcome my gloom.
Because of Your abundant love, I will not perish, for Your grace and compassion never end. I will sing aloud within Your presence, for You are my very strength—[Ps. 81:1] Father, it is only Your lovingkindness that is from everlasting to everlasting, for I reverently fear You. [Ps. 103]
My Lord, it is because of Your mercies that Your people are not consumed by Your sword of justice. Your compassion is nothing else but bountiful, gracious, and kind, ever flowing freely from Your Spirit in our hearts at our times of trouble throughout this space and time.
Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning; Great is Your devotion and constancy. In Your presence, my Lord, I am singing of Your lovingkindness forever! All other generations I will make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth. [Ps. 89:1-2] Your unfailing love is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. [Ps. 36:5]
Praise to You my Lord that Your mercies are new and renewed throughout our lives, as we declare Your fidelity in fulfilling Your many promises made for our needed mercy as Your people.
I say to You that You are my portion, I am Your very possession, your servant, therefore I am placing all of my hope in You. Unlike other gods, you are no idol! Lord, you are the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, Your special possession. You are the Lord of heaven’s armies in Your very Name. [Jeremiah 10:16]
As I bow my soul before You, my health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but You, heavenly Father are the very strength of my heart; You are mine forever. [Ps. 73:26]
I acknowledge You, Lord, that only You are my portion, therefore I have placed all of my anticipation in You instead of earthly things. In You am I comforted and satisfied, while each day, I am faithfully waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
How great my Lord is Your mercy and compassion upon my life, I am also aware of Your righteousness and Your justice. You are a patient God, yet You are justified in bringing judgment against all of us who are wicked. For You are faithful in keeping Your Word and are bounded by Your covenants. Great is Thou faithfulness!
Bless You heavenly Father that I now am revived, experiencing renewed spiritual inward manifestations of celebration from being in Your presence. As one of Your children, I willfully place my soul beneath Your outstretched hands, so that I may experience spiritual protection that will manifest in my life during this time of bereavement.
As my worn soul lay prone before You, please assist me in ridding my unstable mind of all things that are distracting me. For I am Your possession as my contrite heart is bent in submission to the will of Christ who is Lord over my life.
My ultimate peace is eternally established in the reality that My Lord has overcome the world, thus all who are called by Your Name shall receive a crown of righteousness in our faithful following of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Amen
Closing Comments
What exactly does God our portion mean to His people? And just how are we to apply it to our spiritual experience?
“God is my portion”, we lay hold on God as our divine source in all matters about our spiritual regeneration. We grasp all His riches as ours and think of ourselves as having a legal and spiritual entitlement to them and we appropriate them as our very own.
In the New Covenant, the concept of inheritance is connected with the person and work of Christ. Christ is the heir by being God the Son. Through Christ’s redemptive work, believers are children of God by adoption and fellow heirs with Christ. As a guarantee of this “eternal inheritance” Christ has given us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
God comforts His children. He is the comforter of all His Children. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo