“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
March 28, 2025
The third chapter of Lamentations contains some of the most well-known passages in the Bible. We love reading that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” But understanding the totality of the book of Lamentations deepens our understanding of where to find hope in the long night of grief. It’s important to remember that Jeremiah proclaims the never-ending, morning-ready mercies of the Lord over a destroyed city. Jerusalem looked like a wasteland and a war-zone (Have you seen pictures of Gaza in the news?). The destruction raised the question, “How did this happen?” While such questions linger and the suffering continues, Jeremiah pronounces (“this I call to mind,” 3:21) what he knows to be true about God despite what he sees. Lamentations shows us the connection between the rehearsing of truth and the resurgence of hope. Are you grieving over a loss? It may be the loss so glaringly seen in those you love. As the morning sunlight reveals the beauty of the azaleas in my front yard, so does the light of God’s promises dispel the seeming hopelessness of darkness.
H
“My loving Heavenly Father, my grief runs to the sanctuary of your perfections. I can see you as an ally, not as an enemy.”