This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)
New Every Morning
Jeremiah’s lament is a mournful dirge telling the story of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Chaldeans. Jerusalem was the city of God and the city of David. It was the heart of Israel, with its gleaming Temple showing the blessing of God upon His people. It was inconceivable to think the city could ever be destroyed. In 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed the city along with the Temple of Solomon. The words of the prophets came true.
Lamentations is a book of poems reflecting the significance of the divine judgment against the people of God. Israel was the chosen nation of the Lord God, and because of their rebellion, God destroyed them. The book also carries a message of hope amid the people’s suffering. Zion was under the judgment of the Lord. Jeremiah examines suffering and how sin brought it upon the nation. He concludes the lamentations with a prayer. In the midst of the lamentation, the prophet shows the glimmer of hope and the kernel of joy that can be found in the storm of sorrow.
Sorrow can take away hope, but hope can be found in sorrow. With all the sorrow surrounding the prophet, he still found hope. Jeremiah did not blame God; he accepted God’s will, and his faith in it gave him hope. Suffering does not have to destroy the soul. Enduring pain can bring hope when the heart turns to God. Life’s trials can strengthen faith. Seeing God’s hand in guiding and protecting us is a positive way to view suffering.
Job struggled with his faith, but he never lost sight of God’s love. His pain was deep. The grief was immense. No words could describe or explain what he and his wife (the mother of ten children) endured. The book of Job can be viewed as a book of suffering or as a message of hope that in the darkest hour, God has never abandoned His people. Job and his friends tried to rationalize and explain his suffering, but only when the Lord came and challenged Job with 72 questions did the man of God realize God’s incredible grace. Suffering challenged Job and his wife for the rest of their lives, but their hope remained in God.
When the heart trusts in God, each day is a new day of beginning. The book of Lamentations is about suffering. Joy can still be found in the book. Jeremiah knows that God’s lovingkindness is endless. His gracious love overshadows the faithful. The mercy of God is everlasting. His faithfulness is great. The mercies of the Lord God Almighty are fresh each morning. What Jeremiah, the mournful prophet, reminds the people of God is that each day is a fresh day to begin anew and see the glory of the Divine in their lives. Each day is new – make it new with God.
Jesus came to bring the abundant life to those who would follow Him. The peace of God, which passes all understanding, guards the heart and mind in the valley of darkness to see the eternal light of God’s love. Suffering will darken the day but should never darken the spirit. God allowed a wicked world to mistreat, abuse, mock, spit upon, beat, scourge, and then torture His Son on a cross. Jesus said He could bring twelve legions of angels to deliver Him. God did not move. Jesus did not move. The twelve legions of angels never moved. In the darkest hour in the history of man, Jesus suffered so that His people could find joy in the midst of grief. God lives. He loves. Jesus died to redeem His people to Himself. Find joy in sorrow. It’s a new day.
