By: Rebecca Feere
Hello September! Does it seem to you that it was June just a few days ago? Like we blinked, and here we are in the last few days of summer?
Summer is a far-too-short and interesting season. We often approach summer with a list of fun, exciting adventures and some big expectations. Summer is the time to get outdoors and make the most of the sun-filled, warm days because we know they won’t last long. This is the time of year when we finally have some free time to write the book, clean the garage, build the shed, visit Aunt Sue, etc. However, when those expectations are unmet, life can seem disappointing. Another summer, and I still didn’t ____________ (fill in the blank for yourself).
I don’t know what your summer was like or how it left you feeling. Perhaps you’ve had many mountaintop experiences; maybe you felt like you’ve been in a perpetual valley and barely saw the sun. You may be energized and excited for the fall season, or you may be washed out and weary. You may be feeling accomplished, or you may be feeling disappointed in yourself.
I read a familiar portion of Scripture last week. It was a much-needed reminder for me that particular day. This passage reminds us that no matter what is going on in life, no matter how dark and dreary the days seem, no matter how deep the valley, God’s love, mercy and faithfulness never end. God’s love isn’t dependent on me getting the to-do list done. God’s love is placed on me simply because He loves me.
Lamentations 3:21-24
[21] But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
[22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
[23] they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
[24] “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” (ESV)
When you read the entire book of Lamentations and put this passage in context, you find that the prophet Jeremiah was in the middle of devastating circumstances after Jerusalem had been destroyed – hence the name Lamentations. Jeremiah had a heavy heart. God’s people had been taken from their homeland to Babylon as captives. This was far worse than our summer plans gone wrong. It would have been easy for Jeremiah to sink into depression and eventually despair. How did Jeremiah keep from spiralling downward emotionally and spiritually?
- He called to mind what was true of God. He remembered that God is faithful even when we are not! Jeremiah made an intentional choice to focus on who God was in these moments when it seemed all hope was lost.
- What is true about God?
His steadfast love never ceases. There is no end or limit to His unconditional love!
His mercies never come to an end. Mercy is when someone, in this case, God, withholds from us what we truly deserve. God, in His mercy, sent His Son to pay the price for our sins so we could be made right with God (justified). Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. The Cross is proof that His mercies never come to an end. God was willing to give us His Son; will He not graciously give us all things (Rom 8:32)? Yes, He does all things for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28).
His mercies are new every morning. Have you noticed the mercies of God today? Have you stopped to think of how the Lord has blessed you today (His gifts of grace)? His mercy and grace are often found in life’s small, simple and ordinary moments.
Great is His faithfulness. The Hebrew word translated “great” here (rav) means abounding, abundant, more than enough.
He is faithful even when we are not (2 Tim 2:13).
He is faithful yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). - What did Jeremiah do with this knowledge of who God is? He chose by faith to accept and believe that the Lord was enough (the Lord is my portion) even amid chaos, confusion and disappointment. He chose to put his hope in the Lord regardless of his feelings and despite his circumstances.
This passage gives us a fresh, life-giving perspective as we look toward the fall season, regardless of what we leave unfinished or what disappointments loom over us. It helps us remember genuine peace is found as we “obsess over His faithfulness, not our failures.”1 Obsessing over His faithfulness helps us keep His perfect love first and foremost in our minds. His perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18).
What would it look like for you to remember God’s goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love today? Perhaps you could start listing God’s new-morning mercies. You could do this individually or as a family. It could be as simple as posting a lined sheet of paper on the fridge and starting a list of how you see God at work. Yes, our God is enough for this and all the seasons to come. True and lasting hope is only and forever found in Him.
1Saffles, G. (2021). The Well-Watered Woman. Carol Stream IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
