The Never-Ending Mercies of God

 

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

There is a beautiful chorus, written a few years ago, that comes to mind every so often and I find myself singing it and playing its lovely melody occasionally as I sit at the piano.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness.

The song is based on the verses found in the third chapter of the Book of Lamentations.

The book of Lamentations is not a book I read often, with its woeful descriptions of Jerusalem’s downfall, and yet it holds great hope for God’s people. It was written by Jeremiah, often called the ‘weeping prophet’ (Lam. 3:48-49), because of his passion for the people and their city and the many tears he shed on their behalf.

It is a book of laments (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) over the fall of Jerusalem caused by the sinful condition of Judah. Lamenting is something we avoid and not a word we use commonly, but in ancient times, it was a very real thing.

The people of Judah were experiencing God’s judgement because they refused to turn from their sin back to God.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in a time of grief and mourning after the once great city of Jerusalem fell to Babylon. God allowed the Babylonians to plunder, burn and destroy the city of Jerusalem because of their unwillingness to repent. Even Solomon’s temple, which had stood for 400 years, in all its splendour and glory, was burned to the ground. (2 Kings 25:9)

As you read through the book of Lamentations, the tone is that of despair, weeping, captivity, persecution and desolation. It’s not a pleasant book to read. And yet, as we make our way through the misery we read verse after verse, we finally come to chapter 3 and verse 21. And there, right in the middle of the book, like rain after drought, like the dawning of a new day, we read a beautiful passage of confidence and hope.

Jeremiah’s despair turns to hope.

Lamentations 3:21 KJV - This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

After all the expressions of sorrow and heartache, we begin to see a glimmer of hope. Jeremiah, even after all he’s seen, hasn’t given up on God. He still has hope.

Skip down to verses 24-26, and we’ll come back to 22 and 23 soon.

Lamentations 3:24-26 KJV - The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

These verses, in the middle of the book, are a statement of faith. The faith of Jeremiah standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness that shines a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin.

Yes, the book reminds us of the heavy price we pay when we choose to sin, but it also gives hope to those who choose to repent.

As we know, later on God restored his people to their land and blessed them once again.

The beauty of this book of Lamentations is that even the most sinful person can find hope in God who is willing to pour out his abundant mercy and grace on any who come to him in repentance.

And for the Christian, as we live our daily lives and we falter and fail, God is willing and able to forgive.

Now, back to the most familiar verses in the whole book of Lamentations and the verses the little chorus is based upon.

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

In some Bible versions, the word stedfast is used to paint a picture of God’s firm, immoveable, unchanging love.

We know that God’s love abides even in times of trouble and in times of judgment. God never once stopped loving Israel, despite their sin. It was God’s great love that spared the people from being utterly wiped out by Babylon.

When you grasp the fact that God’s love is never ending and unchangeable, you will understand more about God’s mercy. Mercy is a byproduct of God’s love. Since God’s love will never end, neither will his mercy.

God’s mercy, put simply, is God’s goodness, compassion, lovingkindness and favour. Though we deserve punishment, God reaches down and extends his arm of blessing.

And so, it is because of God’s great love and mercy that we are not consumed, destroyed, finished, given up on.

It’s nothing we have done, it is all that he has done. On our behalf.

We are told that his mercy and compassions ‘fail not’. The Hebrew word for this is ‘kala’. It literally means finished. Completed. Worn out. Failed. Perished. Used up. Exhausted.

Think about it like this.

God’s mercy towards you:

Will never finish

Will never be gone

Will never fail

Will never perish

Will never be exhausted

Will never run out

Will never fail

Will never grow weary.

And just when you thought this promise was too good to be true, keep reading, there’s more!

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

So, if you thought that God’s mercies would tire, Jeremiah reminds us that they are new every morning. In other words, every morning is a new beginning.

God gives mercy for each day, and it is refilled and refreshed every morning.

It’s not just about availability, it’s also about access. Regardless of how often we have to rely on his mercy, which in reality is every day, you can always come back for more.

It’s not a license to sin but it is a promise to those who walk in obedience to him.

The last line of verse 23 ties it all together. “Great is thy faithfulness”.

The reason we can depend on God’s mercy and compassion, is because of his faithfulness. It is God’s faithfulness to his Word and the promises we find there, that ensures us new mercies each morning.

We are told in Psalm 138 that God honours his Word above his name.

Psalm 138:2 KJV - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

(interestingly, the word for lovingkindness is the same Hebrew word used for mercy)

God is true to his Word. He never breaks a promise.

There is no expiration date on God’s mercy. With the dawn of every day comes another store of compassion made available to us. His stores are infinite.

No matter which side of the bed we get up on, we will find God’s mercies awaiting us.

Don’t neglect the conditions on your way to the blessings though.

Lamentations 3:25 KJV - The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

We are granted new mercies, but we are reminded that God requires us to wait on him (patiently) and also to seek (follow) him.

We need to repent quickly. We need to keep short accounts. Recognize the value of his mercy and don’t let it be an excuse for sin. Instead, let it be the reason you come running to him in repentance.

We also need to renew frequently. Regardless of the sins of yesterday, we need to come to God in repentance, renew our commitment to him and begin each day afresh. When we fall on our face and fail him, we can reach out our arms to him, letting him set our feet on solid ground once again and bathe in his forgiveness and love.

And we need to remember to rejoice continually. Because of God’s stedfast love, we don’t have to wonder if God has changed his mind. We can live with the assurance that his mercies are never-ending and that they will always be accessible. This should give us cause to rejoice each and every day.

The Lord Jesus, the God of creation, is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never change. We can rest on his promises and hold fast to his Word.

 

Hebrews 13:8 KJV - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.