When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians as a judgment of God, it appeared that all was lost. Jeremiah wrote a long poem about the devastation, not only to record what had happened,
but no doubt to help him and the rest of God’s people think through what had just happened.
Was God finished with Israel?
Would peace and prosperity ever return to Jerusalem?
Would God’s promises fall to the ground unkept?
Many such questions swirling in his mind made their way into the beautiful but mournful poem we know as “Lamentations.” But Jeremiah resolves his confusion in this amazing confession of faith (Lamentations 3:22-24):
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.”
We are grateful for such a promise of God’s mercies. But why are they given again and again? Why must they be “new every morning”?
First, because our sins are new every morning. As long as we are this side of Heaven, we must pray each day and hour, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. His morning mercies provide forgiveness.
Second, because our circumstances are new every morning. Life is change, and as we watch life passing by, we are reminded that those changing circumstances, faces, and places must be accompanied by new morning mercies.
Finally, because our challenges are new every morning. Our health waxes and wanes, new temptations spring up to surprise us, and aging cars and homes bring new financial burdens. With all of these come new morning mercies.
And that is why God and God alone is our portion and object of our hope. He never tires of showing us grace and granting us abundant mercies. In fact, He delights to do so. That’s who He is.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. . .”
2 Corinthians 1:3