Day: May 19, 2025

May 19, 2025

Lamentations 3:22–23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Verse Context
The Book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah, often called “the weeping prophet,” and it reflects the sorrow and devastation that followed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Jeremiah is writing in the midst of national ruin, personal suffering, and divine judgment. Yet right in the heart of this book—chapter 3—he shifts from despair to hope. That transition begins in verse 21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” What does he recall? The verses that follow are among the most treasured in all of Scripture for anyone struggling with guilt, grief, or regret.

Verse 22 says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed…” The word “mercies” here refers to God’s deep covenantal love, a loyal, faithful, unbreakable kindness that continues in spite of sin and failure. The Hebrew idea behind this word carries more than just forgiveness; it’s a committed compassion that doesn’t let go, even when judgment has been deserved. The word “consumed” points to the full destruction that could have rightly fallen on God’s people, but didn’t, because His mercy held it back.

Then Jeremiah adds, “because his compassions fail not.” The word “compassions” here refers to tender, motherly care, the kind of love that instinctively reaches out to help. This isn’t cold forgiveness; it’s warm, emotional, affectionate love. God’s compassions don’t fade, wear out, or dry up. They “fail not.”

Verse 23 continues, “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Here is the turning point. In the middle of disaster, Jeremiah looks at the sunrise and says, today is a new start. Every single morning brings a fresh supply of mercy. The people had failed miserably, but the Lord had not. His faithfulness was unwavering, unchanging, and ever-renewing. This wasn’t an emotional response; it was a theological one. He preached to himself that God’s mercy is not based on human performance but on God’s own character.

Commentator Matthew Henry (1662–1714, Presbyterian) writes, “The streams of mercy are as full, as fresh, and as free as ever.” John Gill (1697–1771, Baptist) agrees, saying that the Lord’s mercies are like the manna in the wilderness, fresh every day, always enough, never failing. In a world where goals can fall short and days don’t always go as planned, God’s compassions still meet us at dawn.

The repetition of “new every morning” also echoes the idea of the daily bread provided in Exodus chapter 16 verse 4: “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day…” Just like the Israelites, we are invited to begin each day by gathering the fresh mercy God has already prepared.The Book of Lamentations is a poetic lament written by the prophet Jeremiah in the wake of Jerusalem’s destruction. Each chapter is a structured acrostic poem, expressing profound grief over the fall of the city and the suffering of its people. Lamentations 3 is the emotional and theological centerpiece of the book. It is also unique: while the other chapters speak as a community voice or a city personified, chapter 3 is deeply personal. It is the voice of an individual sufferer who speaks on behalf of the people but also reveals his own internal anguish. Jeremiah becomes a symbol of righteous suffering amid corporate sin.

Lamentations 3 opens with heavy words: “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath” (3:1). The chapter begins with a long recounting of pain, darkness, and divine chastisement. Jeremiah sees God as the one who has “turned his hand against me,” who has “made my flesh and my skin old,” and who has “broken my bones” (verses 3–4). The poet walks through despair, isolation, unanswered prayer, and emotional imprisonment. He says in verse 18: “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord.”

But everything changes at verse 21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” From that verse through verse 33, we find the strongest declarations of God’s goodness and mercy found in the whole book. Lamentations 3:22–23 sits in the middle of that hope. The message is not that suffering is over, but that mercy is not over. Even when God’s discipline is real, as it was for Israel, His love never ceases. His character never fails.

Thematically, this passage draws attention to God’s covenantal loyalty, a central idea in the entire Old Testament. The people have broken their covenant with God, but He remains faithful to His own name and promises. The faithfulness referenced in verse 23 is not dependent on human performance, it is rooted in God’s own perfection. This means that when failure overwhelms us, mercy meets us.

In the larger story of Scripture, this passage points us toward Jesus Christ. The ultimate proof that God’s compassions “fail not” is seen in the cross, where judgment and mercy met. As the Apostle Paul writes in Second Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” God’s faithfulness is never in question.

Application

Appreciating God’s Greatness
Lamentations 3:22–23 puts the character of God on full display. In the ashes of a broken city and the heart of a broken man, we are given one of the clearest pictures of God’s unwavering love. His mercy holds back destruction. His compassion reaches down into despair. His faithfulness remains steady, not because we deserve it, but because He is unchanging. Unlike men, whose patience wears thin, the Lord renews His mercies every morning. This is not poetic exaggeration. It is theological truth, rooted in who He is. His greatness is not only seen in power or judgment but in His ability to love without exhaustion. Great is His faithfulness indeed.

For the Believer
Every believer has days, or seasons, where we feel like we’ve failed God. Missed goals, spiritual lethargy, emotional discouragement, or even sin can make us feel disqualified. Lamentations 3:22–23 is the antidote to that shame. It calls us to look up and see the sunrise as more than nature. It’s a spiritual invitation. A new morning means new mercy. We may not have gotten it right yesterday, but the Lord still beckons us today. We are not consumed. We are not cast off. His compassion has not failed. That truth becomes our fuel, not to sit idle, but to rise in gratitude and walk forward.

Call to Action
If you’re burdened with disappointment, whether over a spiritual shortfall, an unmet goal, or a troubled heart, take time this morning to do what Jeremiah did in verse 21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” Write the verse out. Say it aloud. Let it sink in. Then act on it. Get up. Pray. Start the new week with courage. The mercy of God isn’t theoretical, it’s practical. Go forward today not because you’re strong, but because His mercies are new. Begin again, not in shame, but in grace.

For the Unbeliever
If you are reading this and don’t yet know Jesus Christ, this verse speaks directly to you. You are not beyond His mercy. The fact that you woke up today is proof of His compassion. You are not consumed. That’s not because of chance—it’s because of grace. God is giving you another morning, another breath, another opportunity to repent and believe. The same faithfulness that spared Israel in their rebellion is still available to you through Jesus Christ. The cross is where mercy was made available, and the resurrection is how it reaches you. Today can be the day of salvation. His mercies are new, even for you.

Final Encouragement
There’s something sacred about a Monday morning. It marks not just the start of a new week, but often the weight of what didn’t get done the week before. If that burden is pressing on your heart today, remember this: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed.” You are not here by accident. You are not finished. You are not forgotten. You are being kept by a God whose compassions are unfailing and whose mercies are brand new, today. Lamentations 3:22–23 doesn’t celebrate your performance; it celebrates God’s promise. Let this Monday be a mercy-driven one. Great is His faithfulness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day and the mercy that greets us with it. Forgive us for the times we’ve failed to redeem our time well or have let discouragement take root in our hearts. We confess our weakness and lean into Your strength. Help us begin this week not in guilt, but in gratitude. Restore our joy, renew our focus, and strengthen our hands to work as unto You. Let us remember that our hope is not in yesterday’s victories or failures but in Your unfailing compassion today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing
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Shalom Shalom.