New Mercies Every Morning

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentation 3:22-24 ESV).

 

Our reading today comes from one of the “darkest” books of the Bible. Lamentations is not lighthearted reading; it’s a collection of desperate cries from the bottom of a pit. The author laments the suffering of God’s people during their time of captivity, which left them trapped in misery for years. But in the middle of the book, a glimmering light shines through the darkness, as the weeping writer lifts his head and proclaims hope in the God of love and compassion. We witness the progression from a downcast, bitter soul (v. 20) to an upright, resolute warrior refusing to be consumed by the troubles of life (v. 22). The rallying cry of confidence is that God will ultimately save his people.

 

This passage is a favorite of many of the folks I have known through the years who have suffered with a degenerative and debilitating disease. One of my clients was recently diagnosed with ALS. It is one of those diseases. He is a strong believer, but the prognosis is trying at best. The more we have explored the Scripture the more I have been encouraged with his faith and confidence in the promises of God. His type of ALS is a rapidly degenerative disease that begins to affect the lungs and speech first. He has been given less than six months to live. While that is likely to be true, he continues to persevere with the knowledge that God does indeed provide new mercies each day.

 

Perhaps you are facing similar challenges today. Everywhere you look seems to bring more bad news. My I encourage you with the good news that God has not forgotten or forsaken you. While the “big” things seem impossible, you can find God’s blessings in many different ways each day if you make a point of looking for them. Great is God’s faithfulness!