“My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. So I say, ‘My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:17-18)
He watched a foreign military superpower invade his city. He saw Solomon’s magnificent temple burn to the ground. Familiar structures he passed every day now sit in shambles. Neighbors and friends lie dead in the streets. YHWH Himself, the God he has been taught to honor and trust since his youth, appears to be out to get him and his people. Of course peace is far from his soul. Clearly happiness is not an emotion that he’s felt for a while. He’s left it a state of hopelessness.
Maybe on some level you feel it too. Anxiety and distress are imminent, while peace is far. You smile when the moment requires it, but you can’t remember the last time of genuine happiness. And the thought of its restoration seems impossible.
Four verses later, his tone changes. His sorrows have not been eliminated, and yet now he claims to have found hope.
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.” (Lamentations 3:21)
His hope doesn’t come from a change of circumstances or even from his own will to change his attitude. It comes from the unshakable truth that he “calls to mind.” It’s a truth he knows to be sure even when his current reality doesn’t seem to reflect it.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
This familiar verse can be easy to quote when all is well and when His presence seems near. But it’s a little harder when you’re stuck in the despair of your yesterdays.
Imagine living in an endless year, an endless week, an endless day. No new beginnings or fresh starts. The pain you recently experienced will continually sting as much as the moment it first arrived. The shame of your actions will linger long past its time.
No matter what 2016 threw your way, the Lord has graciously granted you a new year to experience His goodness. Or maybe 2017 has already been a disaster. The sun rises anew tomorrow, dear friend.
Have you experienced hardship that has broken your spirit? His mercies are new today.
Are you stuck in cycle of sin that seems impossible to break? His mercies are new today.
Do you feel bogged down in the monotony of everyday life? His mercies are new today.
Are you grieving over missed opportunities? His mercies are new today.
Through His Son’s death on your behalf, your Heavenly Father lavishes His love on you every morning. He will not give you leftovers from yesterday. Experience His fresh mercy.
One of my favorite songs from 2016 is a great reminder of this truth. Christ poured out His blood to redeem us from our fallen state, and we find His mercies are sufficient and endless. Enjoy!
Cultivate. 