Unfailing Love

SCRIPTURE: Lam. 3:19-33
¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Jeremiah is overwhelmed with grief and pouring out his heart to the Lord. He feels he will die from grief, yet he brings to mind the faithfulness of the Lord in some of the most oft quoted verses of the Bible. The Lord's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. Those who suffer are not left hopeless for He will show compassion. His love is unfailing. He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to any of His children. We often suffer from our own sin, though Jeremiah is suffering from seeing the intense judgment God is bringing on the people of Judah for their sin. Jeremiah lets us know that whatever the "yoke" God has put on us to bear, we should do it with patience and humility and wait for the Lord's deliverance.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your Word. There is such comfort in it. I so relate to Jeremiah. I tend to be one who battles depression for a number of reasons, but like Jeremiah, I have found You to be faithful. Even when I don't understand why things are happening the way they are, whenever I wait on You, I find peace and comfort and discover that Your ways are perfect. So perfect, and so much better than my own ways. I pray that I will learn to rest in You quickly when things go wrong in my view. I praise You for Your love and care for me. Thank You so much. In Jesus' Name, Amen.