“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. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” Lamentations 3:21-24
The book of Lamentations is basically about Jeremiah mourning over Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem. In the book, the prophet talks of the unimaginable suffering on the part of his people (e.g., Lamentations 2:8-13). Yet Jeremiah consoled both himself and his people by showing them images of the character of God in this book.
A very important aspect of God’s character is his love and mercy (Lamentations 3:21-24). This part of God’s character gave hope to Jeremiah because he recognized that God’s steadfast love and mercies never come to an end. This is probably why his original Jewish readers were still alive rather than being utterly consumed by Babylon’s hordes. Thus, Jeremiah could put his trust and hope in God.
What gives me hope as a Christian is the part of Lamentations 3:23 which says God’s mercies are new every morning. Mornings are a beautiful time of day because everything is fresh and new. Everything’s getting started. I love to watch the sun rise over the mountains. Yet this beauty of the morning is even more profound when one looks at it from a spiritual perspective. One of the best part of being a Christian is that God’s mercy is basically made brand new every single morning.
They are new every morning because God is present every single morning…as well as afternoon and evening. He is always there. He is “over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6). He is “the everlasting God…He does not faint or grow weary”; this is why those who “wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31). God is always present and faithful, no matter what. Regardless of what we do in our life, God is always there.
Another reason his mercies are new every morning is because they never stop. Pause for a moment and think of all the physical blessings God gives you every day without fail (Genesis 8:22; Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17). Think of every breath of oxygen you take, every step you take, every bite of food, the bed upon which you sleep, every garment you wear, the roof over your head, the job and income it provides…it all comes from God in spite of your sins. That’s mercy. The Christian receives even more in that true followers of Christ receive “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3): forgiveness of sins, redemption, justification, salvation, eternal life. These blessings come when one obeys the gospel and becomes a Christian through penitent baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and continues as they walk in the light and penitently confess their sins (1 John 1:7-9). His forgiveness, his mercy, is renewed every morning. How great a God he is!
Every single morning, with God’s renewed mercy given to the faithful Christian, the old things are continually wiped clean. “The new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17), the “newness of life” promised to those newly baptized (Romans 6:4). Yes, Christians – like everyone else – may have to live with the consequences of sinful choices…but not with the guilt. Like the apostle Paul, Christians are “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead…the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). The fact that God’s mercies renew themselves every day makes this possible.Remember, friends. God cannot lie, and thus the Christian’s hope of eternal life is sure (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 10:23). On a Sunday morning long ago, Jesus of Nazareth came back to life. His resurrection is a promise that his faithful followers will one day be resurrected, never to die again like him (Romans 8:11). That’s why God’s mercies are new every morning. His promises are sure.
Dear reader, do you need the mercy of God to be given to you today, tomorrow morning, and every morning afterwards? Become a Christian. Obey the gospel. I would love to study the Bible with you to show you how