Great Is His Faithfulness
In 1776, America’s “founding fathers” celebrated the hope they had in the formation of a new nation that they believed would provide freedom from oppression and tyranny for its people. In our scripture this week, the Prophet Jeremiah lamented his suffering, as the nation of Judah fell under siege to Babylon. But, despite his and Judah’s suffering, Jeremiah put his hope in God's unfailing love, mercy and faithfulness toward His people. I pray that as we celebrate America’s independence that we remember the great faithfulness of our Lord, who is our hope in any and all circumstances. Amen
He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” (Lam. 3:16-18) The prophet Jeremiah lamented his distress and the suffering he experienced as a result of God’s punishment of Judah and Jerusalem, which stemmed from their refusal to turn from their disobedience and sin. Even though he was God’s prophet and continually warned Judah and her leaders of God’s coming judgement, Jeremiah also had to suffer under God’s punishment of Judah. We suffer because of our personal sin… but also because of collective sin.
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me. (Lam. 3:19-20) God’s chastisement of Judah was severe, in accordance with their disobedience. Jeremiah was not immune to the punishment that was inflicted upon Jerusalem. In remembering his afflictions, the bitterness of what he had to endure and the depths of despair that he felt down in his soul, Jeremiah was his lowest point. It is at often our lowest point that we realize we have to turn to God, humble ourselves before Him and plead for His mercy and His power!
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.” (Lam. 3:21-24) At his lowest point, Jeremiah turned to God who was the source of his hope. Jeremiah’s hope in God was based on God’s character of unfailing love and great faithfulness. In fact, in the midst of his misery and lament, Jeremiah praised God for supplying new mercies to us each morning, in spite of our unfaithfulness to Him. Having turned to God in hope, Jeremiah vowed to wait on Him for his deliverance and restoration. When we turn to God in repentance, we can trust in His love for us and His faithfulness to His word...and we can wait on Him in confidence that He will take action for our good!
Many in Judah looked at the punishment that God inflicted upon Judah and concluded that God had abandoned her and left her to the evil devices of her enemies. But in Judah’s chastisement, the prophet Jeremiah saw a caring and compassionate God who wanted to correct His people and bring them back to Him so that they might live and prosper. When we are going through our valley experiences, we should seek God’s face even more. He is always our hope and our anchor, without which we would give up and be lost. When we seek His face and draw closer to Him, God directs us away from what might destroy us and into what he has planned to prosper our lives and give us hope (Jer. 29:13). Even when we are disobedient and unfaithful toward Him, God’s love, compassion and mercy toward us never runs out. He never abandons or leaves us. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He supplies us with new mercies each day. Who wouldn’t love a God like Him? How many times has He answered your plea and brought you out of the pit? All of us should be able to look at what God has done in our lives and join Jeremiah in praise, proclaiming….Great is His faithfulness!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
