Jump Start # 150 

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

  This week we have been picking verses out of Jeremiah. It is a sad book. Destruction is coming, the nation doesn’t get it and God is fed up their rebellion. The wonderful city of Jerusalem would be invaded by Babylon. The walls torn down, the temple destroyed and in essence, God’s presence removed from Judah. The best of Judah that survived the attack were taken to Babylon, that included Daniel. The poor were left behind, that included Jeremiah. What we have  given to us is two books written at the same time from two different places. The book of Daniel is written from Babylon and Jeremiah is written from Jerusalem.

  Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, the following book. We don’t read or study that book often. To “lament” is to mourn or cry.  Lamentations is written after the destruction by Babylon. It begins, “How lonely sits the city that was full of people” (1:1). In the midst of this description, the prophet Jeremiah calls upon God. It is here that we find our verses today.

  Sitting among the ruins of a once beautiful city, Jeremiah reminds the people that God hasn’t given up on them nor has He stopped loving them. His lovingkindness never ceases, His compassions never fail. We need to be reminded of that. Especially after we have done wrong, like the prodigal, we can sense that God will treat us like a slave. But He never stops loving us. God forgives over and over. God wants the best from you. God wants you to have a close relationship with Him.

  I especially like the expression, “…His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…” New compassion. New love. Just like a new day. The sun comes up and there is God ready to love you. Now it is easy to think, ‘well, if He has new love for me today, why am I still in this mess?’ Jeremiah who wrote those words understood that the city would be in ruins for 70 years. That was the punishment. Israel was in the wilderness 40 years before the promise land. Abraham had to wait 25 years before the chosen child was born. God’s love does not mean immediately our struggles or difficulties go away. We equate God’s love with comfortable living. If things in life are a mess then we assume that is an indication that God is mad at us. No.

  Our verse ends with these words, “Great is Thy faithfulness.” We sing a hymn with those words. God made promises and He will keep them. After 70 years the Babylonian nation was conquered by the Medes and Persians. Those kings allowed some of Judah to return. God promised. God kept His promise. Israel would understand that when they went to the promise land. Abraham would understand that when Isaac was born.

  God is faithful. He has promised to forgive your sins if by faith you walk and obey His son. God has promised Heaven to you if you continue with Him. Great is Thy faithfulness. God will keep His promise.

   Every morning, new compassion! That’s a great message for a destroyed city. It’s a great message for destroyed lives. It’s a great message for tired and busy people. God loves you!

Roger