New Mercies, New Mornings

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’”—Lamentations 3:22–24 (NKJV)

Lamentations echoes the heart of those who love the Lord during chastening, confusion, and grief; those who give praise to the Lord despite being in the midst of deep, prolonged suffering. The Book of Lamentations is an invitation to safely process and express the gamut of human emotions. Expressed within this book, and many other biblical books (e.g., Job, Psalms, Isaiah), is deep sorrow, grief, anger, confusion, disappointments, distress, protests, and fears.

Most Christian scholars and historians credit the authorship of Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah. The poems in Lamentations give virtue to human suffering. I’m so grateful the Word of God doesn’t shy away from the emotional rollercoaster that is the human experience.

These three verses are brimming with hope, which are wonderful to read in a new year devotional. However, to fully comprehend the magnitude of these three Scriptures, we must first put them in proper historical context. The situations described in Lamentations are during the fall of Jerusalem and exile at the hand of the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. The land and the Israelites have experienced gross and horrifying trauma that only war and exile can bring. 

Jeremiah penned these words for us, under extreme circumstances, which is a remarkable testament to his trust and hope in God. To paraphrase Pastor Doug, the Lord wants us to express our pain to Him, face to face, not after we’ve turned our back on Him. In our earthly relationships, we tend to only share deep pain with those we consider safe, those we trust. The Lord wants that level of trust from us, He wants an authentic relationship with us. He’s consistently inviting His people to comprehend Him as the ultimate place of refuge. 

What gives Jeremiah hope when the nation is in dire distress, captive, enslaved, and distute? Great is Your faithfulness. Jeremiah knows the Lord is faithful to judge evil, consistent on His covenant promise to not let evil triumph. Because we have time on our side, we’ve seen more of God’s rescue than Jeremiah. We’ve witnessed throughout history those who mess with God’s people are always on the losing side of history. The Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans . . . the list goes on. Through the Lords’s mercies we are not consumed. Israel has seen enough war and hardship to have been wiped off the face of the earth many times, but they’re still standing. Because God is faithful, because His compassions fail not. 

The foundation of Jeremiah’s hope is this: The Lord is my portion, says my soul,

Therefore I hope in Him!

I love how pastor David Guzik puts it: “Jeremiah found the key to satisfaction—finding one’s portion in the Lord. Whatever measure he was to receive, whatever inheritance, whatever future, it would all be found in Yahweh. These are the words of a satisfied soul. Jeremiah had no other place of satisfaction, so he was settled with the portion received, and that portion was the Lord Himself.”

As we enter into 2025, we have the opportunity to view our circumstances in light of God’s amazing mercy. We are His! We can stand in the midst of this crazy world and remember our satisfaction comes from Him and Him alone. He will not allow evil to go unpunished. Seek refuge under the shadow of His wing this year. Trust Him with all of your emotions, and seek His glorious face. 

Pause: Is your hope and satisfaction fully in the Lord?

Practice: Aren’t you grateful God is loving and safe, powerful and tender. He holds us in the palm of His mighty hand. Is there anything you need to express to the Lord? Grab a journal and write down any emotion or concern that needs to be discussed with the Lord as 2024 ends and 2025 begins.

Pray: Dear Lord, You are my portion, You are my hope and satisfaction. Thank You for the example of Jeremiah and others that show You don’t turn away from our grief or pain. Our relationship is strong enough to withstand my expressions of sorrow and joy.

Lord, please gently correct me when I shy away from bringing my hurt, pain, or confusion to You. Please mold me into Your image more and more every day. I pray this in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.