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 will hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

God’s compassions are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great! We all give a hearty “Amen” to those wonderful truths that are reiterated time and again throughout Scripture. “God is good, all the time,” is often heard from the lips of those who are experiencing the manifold blessings of our gracious heavenly Father.

The prophet Jeremiah, the author of the words quoted above, is giving a powerful testimony of his faith in the reality of God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness. We might think that he is giving this doxology of praise and adoration as he enjoys the blessings of God’s provision, presence and power. Perhaps he is enjoying the manifold provisions of the Lord. But that is not the case.

These words were penned by the prophet as he ponders the greatness of God in the midst of tremendous adversity. Babylon has invaded Jerusalem, destroyed the city and took the residents captive. Jeremiah is now contemplating the events of the recent past as he thinks about the fact that God has now brought to pass the things He had warned would happen if the people refused to repent.

And yet, even in the midst of the awful circumstances, Jeremiah testifies to the reality of God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness. What a powerful example of one who saw beyond his present situation and kept his eyes of faith focused on the promises of God.

A couple of contemporary Christian songs written a few years ago illustrate this principle quite well: Praise You in this Storm, by Casting Crowns, and Even If, by MercyMe, (Why not take a few minutes right now and listen to these powerful testimonies of consistent praise in the midst of the difficulties of life. Click these links to listen to them on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0YUGwUgBvTU and https://youtu.be/B6fA35Ved-Y.)

Far too often we hear of individuals who walk away from God because of some adversity in life. Jesus spoke of this type of individual as He spoke with His disciples about different responses to the Gospel. Many who hear the presentation of the Gospel seem to be genuinely committed to the Lord, and yet when life becomes tough, and unexpected circumstances arise, they fall away, turning their backs on God because He did not meet their expectations.

But the Bible teaches clearly that life will not be easy for the believer. Jesus said plainly that in the world – in this life – we would have tribulation, but that He had overcome the world. We must live by faith, believing that He has, indeed, already overcome the world for us, and that by faith we, as Jeremiah, can see beyond the difficulties of life, realizing that there is something far better, far greater, than anything we might face in this temporary, physical world.

We need look no further than the record of the lives of the apostles, and the stories of the early Christians, who suffered horribly because of their faith in the Lord. We have all heard of the horrific stories of those believers in the early church who were persecuted, even executed, because of their faith. Even today, there are parts of the world where professing Christians are incarcerated, and tortured, and executed, simply for professing faith in Jesus Christ.

As followers of Jesus, we are to look beyond the eventualities of this life, realizing that the sovereign Ruler of the universe is firmly established as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will at some point in the future bring this present age to an end, and usher in the eternal kingdom in which we will live with Him forever. No matter what we suffer in this life, it is not worthy to be compared to the glory set before us in Christ Jesus.

As Jeremiah, let’s remember that His mercy, compassion, and faithfulness are new every morning. Regardless of the circumstances and situations of life, God is on the throne and in control. Let’s keep our eyes on Him, and our faith in Him, and our belief in His return the motivating factor that enable us to see beyond this life to the life to come.

Blessings!