Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain. She has been the monarch for seventy years. I’m not here to talk about the monarchy. I’m not sure we could argue the importance of such an institution at this point, but it is a fascinating thing, the years of continuity of Queen Elizabeth and the stability that has given in many ways. I gave my grandmother a book about Queen Elizabeth some twenty years ago, and when my grandmother passed away at 101 years of age, I got my book back. The last photo in this history of Queen Elizabeth is a picture of Queen Elizabeth and Prince William standing together on a balcony. The caption read something like, “The strength of the monarchy is its continuity.” There may be some truth to that.
When you think about your life and you think about your need, are stability and continuity things that comes to your mind? Well, let me tell you that God was not appointed, God was not elected, God is not in line waiting for His moment to become the monarch, and God is not fixed in history. He is not old-fashioned. He was the God of Abraham, but the Bible says He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is timeless and eternal.
The book of Lamentations is a book of weeping. Jeremiah was broken-hearted about the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgment on God’s people. Right in the middle of this, in Lamentations 3:22, Jeremiah exclaims, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” God is timeless and His compassions are unfailing. Why? Verse 23 says, “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” God is already ahead of us and God’s mercies are new every morning.
We may, or may not, admire the British monarchy, but unlike the British monarchy that looks to history and hopes for the future, we look at one God Who has always been and will always be. He is a God Who is not fixed in history but a God whose mercies are actually ahead of us. They are new every morning. Why? It is because God is faithful. His mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness.
For this reason, God’s faithfulness is the source of our hope. Verse 24 says, “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” My hope is not based on the fact that the next person in line will be as wise as the previous person in line. My hope is not that the next person in line will live as long and be as strong as the last person in line. My hope is not that things are looking good or that the world is doing right. My hope is not in the world at all. My hope is in the faithfulness of God. “Therefore will I hope in him.”
Now, this requires patience and waiting. We think about time, and we have no perspective of time. God is the master of timing. Verses 25-26 say, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” You see God precedes us. Likewise, on basically the same day that the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth ended there was a remembrance of D-Day, June 6, 1944. Some seventy-eight years after the event we paused to remember the sacrifice, heroism, and courage of thousands who stormed the beaches of Normandy.
Now, I’m thankful for that and I’m thankful for any freedom and stability that such a conflict may have gained for me today. But today, this very moment, I’m not looking for something that is fixed in history and taking inspiration from that; I’m taking hope in God’s actual presence right now, real time. God’s mercy is new. God is alive. God is gracious. and God’s mercies are new every morning.