Morning Moments

Lament. 3:19-23 (KJV)
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. [20] My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. [21] This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
[22] It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Saints suffer for two primary reasons: sin and sanctification. Barnes says, the Book of Lamentations presents the image of the deepest suffering, passing on to the confession of sin, the acknowledgment of God’s justice, and the prayer of faith for forgiveness. It is the ideal representation of that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of 2 Cor. 12:10.

Jeremiah says in 3:1, “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.” Today we tend to ignore, deny, or reject the truth about suffering. Many have led us to believe that our Heavenly Father is as so many today who are indifferent about their children’s behavior. It is easy to accept extremes of too much or too little. Balance is always the key, and balance in devotion and discipline are essential for every generation. If we will not accept God’s prompting, then we must suffer His punishment. “God chastens who He loves and scourges every son.”

Jeremiah acknowledges that chastisement is for the believer’s good, and he dwells more upon the spiritual aspect of sorrow, and the certainty that finally there must be the redeeming of life for God’s people, and vengeance for His enemies.

The context of the words of our text takes place during the period immediately after the capture of Jerusalem, and probably during the month which intervened between the capture of Jerusalem and its destruction.

As children of God, we must not “despise the chastening of the Lord…” but understand that it is for our good and His glory. It was for Judah and it is for us. In the words of Paul, “…these things happened as an example to us.”

Now let’s look at the words as the prophet “recalls” in humility that which brings him hope.

God’s Favor - 2 Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

The Lord’s mercies (Rom 12:1) had certainly been bestowed upon Judah just as they are upon us.
God’s Forgiveness - Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

The Lord’s compassions fail not for “as a father pitieth his children, so pitieth the Lord them that fear Him.”

God’s Freshness - Jeremiah 31:22
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

The Lord is continually working all things for our good, so his compassions are new every morning. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow never comes, so God works NOW for our good and His glory.

God’s Faithfulness - 1 Cor. 1:9 (KJV)
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

He is faithful who called you that will do it. He is faithful even when we are not. GREAT is His faithfulness.

BLESSINGS!