Dare to Hope!
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“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.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
This passage was written by the prophet, Jeremiah, who was called “The Weeping Prophet.” He lived and prophesied in the time of Judah’s defeat to Babylon and saw them taken captive. As a young prophet, God called him to a nation spiraling out of control. Israel was on a self-destructive path, and God sent Jeremiah to warn them to turn back to Him before it was too late. It would only be a matter of time before God’s hedge of protection would be lifted from the nation and they would experience the consequences of their own rebellion and sin. Their hearts were so hardened that they didn’t want to hear Jeremiah’s message, and despite his tears, they sought to kill him. At one point, Jeremiah cried out to God, “LORD, You know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don’t let me die young. It’s for Your sake that I am suffering.” (Jeremiah 15:15 NLT)
It’s no wonder that Jeremiah was called “The Weeping Prophet.” In fact, he would later write the book of Lamentations as he lamented over the destruction of Israel that he lived to see. What sustained him? What kept him from giving up? I think it had a lot to do with his view of God. Like you and me, Jeremiah was human. He felt the rejection of his people - and it hurt. The secret to his strength is revealed in our verse today. Listen to how he addresses God when he writes.
“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:20-24 (NLT)
Jeremiah was saying, “Despite how awful this time is, I still dare to hope as I remember who God is and what God can do.” We need Jeremiah’s view of God when we face our own seasons of pain and hardship. Jeremiah gives us three attributes of God we can cling to that will sustain us:
1. God is love. He trusted in the never-failing nature of God’s love! He believed God’s love would sustain him and his people. He said, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed….
2. God is merciful. He believed God’s mercies were new and fresh every morning! The word “compassion” in this verse “… His compassions never fail. They are new every morning….” can be translated as “mercy” in Hebrew. If grace is getting something I didn’t deserve, then mercy is not getting what I do deserve! Thank God His mercies are new every morning!
3. God is faithful. Jeremiah wrote, “… Great is Your faithfulness!”
Whatever you’re facing, no matter how painful or difficult it may be, dare to hope by remembering these three truths. God is love. God is merciful. God is faithful. As you do, hope will arise! He will turn your mourning into joy!
“For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (NLT)