"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
–Lamentations 3:19-24
I love the honesty of Scripture. I have always thought this an interesting passage set right in the middle of a book that is aptly named for the sadness of its contents. The writer of Lamentations mourns for suffering Israel, cries out against its enemies and pours out the desperate darkness of his own soul. The only hope found in these five chapters is that which comes from placing one’s hope in God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness.
Suffering is such a relative concept. We can always find someone whose suffering is apparently greater than our own, but that seldom really makes us feel great if we are experiencing hurt, injustice, confusion, weakness, fatigue, pain, sorrow, or any of the negative aspects of the human condition. For every person, each new day brings some kind of difficulty, from minor aches and pains to life-changing tragedies. We find hope not by constantly seeking for ways to avoid pain but in trusting God whose compassions never fail and whose mercies are new every morning.
Living a life of hope is not the same as living a life of denial. The writer of Lamentations makes a point of saying he “remembers” the difficult things about his life, but he is not consumed by them because of God’s great love. We can become overwhelmed or consumed pretty easily if we do not take the time, especially in the middle of trying circumstances, to remember that our hope is not in ourselves, in our doctors, in our government, or in any human plan. Our hope is in God who has a continuous supply of mercy and love for his children.
I find it very comforting that this writer doesn’t just focus on the greatness of God’s love, but also on its consistency. Every morning we get more compassion, more mercy, more love. It’s not like the summer thundershowers in Florida where it rains torrentially for ten minutes and then it’s gone. It is a steady soaking rain of compassion that keeps us saturated with hope. One more day, means one more day of God’s abiding presence and unending love.
As you wait before the Lord, your portion, today, allow today’s compassion soak into your heart and mind and remove any sense of being overwhelmed by life.
Prayer
Lord, you are faithful. Your mercies are new every morning and my hope is in your unfailing love. Remind me that I do not need to feel overwhelmed by anything in this life because you are always near and you always love me.
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