ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL⛪SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022🪐💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦Today’s Theme: ⛪ BOWELS OF MERCYMy Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.TEXT: Song of Solomon 5:4MESSAGE🍎The Biblical definition of bowels are “compassionate feelings”; ”For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Christ Jesus”(Philippians 1:8), ”If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercy” (Philippians 2:1) and “tender mercies” (Colossians 3:12) “Put on therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering”(Colossians 3:12).To have mercy is to have a heart of pity to others. It means to share in the sorrows of others. Mercy in the scriptures relates to forgiveness or withholding punishment from the offenders. God the Father showed mercy on us when he sacrificed his Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross to pay the price for our sins(1 Cor.5:7).What then is Bowels of Mercy? Bowels of Mercy means sharing the pains of others in love. Bowels of Mercy means being merciful and kind hearted to all men. We are commanded to; “Put on as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the Bowels of Mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all put on Charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3: 12-14).From the text, we have a clear picture of our beloved Christ. Knocking was not enough, so he put his hand by the hole of the door, for our hearts were too full of sleep, too cold and ungrateful to arise and open the door, but the touch of his effectual grace has made our soul rise up for Him. Oh, the longsuffering of my Beloved, to tarry when he found himself shut out, and we being asleep upon the bed of sloth! Oh, the greatness of his patience, to knock and knock again (Revelation 3:20), and to add his voice to his knockings, beseeching us to open to him! How could I have refused him! Base heart, blush and be confounded! But what greatest kindness of all is this, that he becomes his own porter, even our potter and unbars the door himself (Isaiah 64:8). I rose up to open for my beloved (Song of Solomon 5: 5), but blessed is the hand which condescends to lift the latch and turn the key. Now I see that nothing but my Lord’s own power can save such a naughty mass of wickedness as I am; ordinances fail, even the gospel has no effect upon me, till his hand is stretched out. Now, also, I perceive that his hand is good where all else is unsuccessful, he can open when nothing else will. Blessed be his name; I feel his gracious presence even now. Well may my bowels move for him, when I think of all that he has suffered for me, and of my ungenerous return. I have allowed my affections to wander. I have set up rivals. I have grieved him but I shouldn’t have. Sweetest and dearest of all beloveds, I have treated thee as an unfaithful wife treats her husband.Oh, my cruel sins, my cruel self. What can I do?Tears are a poor show of my repentance, my whole heart boils with indignation at myself. Wretch that I am, to treat my Lord (Acts 2:36), my All in All, my exceeding great joy (Psalm 43:4), as though he were a stranger. Jesus, thou forgive freely, but this is not enough, prevent my unfaithfulness in the future. Kiss away these tears, and then purge my heart and bind it with sevenfold cords to thyself, never to wander any more.Father, this is my heart, show me the way of life that I may learn thy precepts always.PRAYERS♨️Heavenly father, I thank you for the great love and mercy you showed onto me and all men. Lord your mercy is amazing in my life and family. Lord, I surrender all to your loving kindness, strengthen and comfort me, bless me on every side and empower me to live in thy mercy all the days of my life in Jesus mighty name, Amen. Lord, may I experience your bowels of mercy always in my life, may I see your face more dearly, love thee more clearly and follow thee faithfully to the end in Jesus mighty name, Amen.FURTHER BIBLE READINGISAIAH 52BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 202MORNING: NUMBERS, 17-18EVENING: ROMANS, 16-17💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry 🪐💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦HAMMER WORD BIBLE CHURCH, ABAK, AKWA IBOM STATE, CARES⛪