We all have times we feel in need of hope. I love this prescription found in Lamentations - and it is something we all can practice.
Jeremiah, who found himself in extremely difficult situation said simply;
"This I recall to my mind – therefore I have hope."
Jeremiah practiced an intentional habit. It wasn’t just that what he had forgotten returned and passed through his mind. He made an effort and called this information back up into his mind. The result was his hope was restored.
So, what was this beneficial information he meditated on? God’s goodness.
The steadfast love of God doesn’t end. God loves us passionately and faithfully. Its constancy is something we can count on. So no matter what our situation feels like, the truth is that God loves us. And that is cause to hope.
His mercies don’t run out. Sometimes I feel high maintenance. I keep coming to Him for the same request, I fall in the same way, I blow it again. But even as I show up repeatedly at His feet, He delights to shower me - and you - in His mercy. What a joy! And each day, we get a fresh start as He faithfully provides for us anew.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
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 3:21-23
This passage rings familiar to many of us through memory and a popular song, but to Jeremiah it was actually his remedy to bring hope. It can be ours as well.
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