I woke up this morning with a heaviness that seemed to just pull at my soul. After a few hours of not quite being able to lighten up, I decided to snuggle up with a good book, a cozy blanket, and a hot cup of coffee. Before I opened my book, I sat for a minute and stared at the cup in my hand, reading the words “new morning, new mercies” over and over again.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” -Lamentations 3:22-23
I love these verses, but as I sat there repeating the words on my mug I was drawn to the entire chapter of Lamentations 3. I think we have a tendency to point to specific verses and ignore the words before and after. I do this almost everyday myself, but today I just needed more.
At first glance, these two verses are full of hope...and they truly are but when I only read these two verses I miss the power of what is happening behind them.
These verses were not written at a high point in Scripture. These were not the words of a man standing in a mountaintop moment. These words were not easily written.
They stand alone as a source of hope, surrounded on both sides with suffering and silence and ruin and heaviness of heart. It was almost hard to read these two verses after reading the words before them, and it didn’t get easier with the words after.
I don’t know about you, but it seems like lately we are just as surrounded by suffering as these two verses are. War and disaster and tragedy seem to strike more often then ever. I don’t know if that’s really the case, but it sure feels like it is.
More than anything I need hope. We need hope. We need to be reminded of the truth that we may be surrounded but we are not consumed. The Lord’s mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great.
I don’t know why exactly the heaviness stuck to me this morning, and I don’t know why it still sticks now. But I was reminded of hope today. I was reminded that hope can be found even when we’re surrounded by disaster, and my prayer is that you would be reminded of it too.
We have hope, y’all. Unfailing, eternal, all-consuming hope.
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