Bible in a Year:
Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
I can never recapture the splendor that was our daughter Melissa. Fading from my memory are those wonderful times when we watched her joyfully playing high school volleyball. And its sometimes hard to remember the shy smile of contentment that crossed her face when we were doing family activities. Her death at age seventeen dropped a curtain on the joy of her presence.
In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiahs words show he understood that the heart can be punctured. My splendor is gone, he said, and all that I had hoped from the Lord (3:18). His situation was far different from yours and mine. He had preached Gods judgment, and he saw Jerusalem defeated. The splendor was gone because he felt defeated (v. 12), isolated (v. 14), and abandoned by God (vv. 1520).
But thats not the end of his story. Light shined through. Jeremiah, burdened and broken, stammered out I have hope (v. 21)hope that comes from realizing that because of the Lords great love we are not consumed (v. 22). And here is just what we need to remember when the splendor is gone: Gods compassions never fail. They are new every morning (vv. 2223).
Even in our darkest days, Gods great faithfulness shines through.
How has God encouraged you when you felt hopeless? How might He want you to use that to encourage others?
Thank You, Father, that Youre the God of compassion. Even while I walk through the valley of darkness, morning will follow as I remember Your compassion and Your faithfulness.
Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.
Finally...the weekend got here! Hope you have had a productive week and can get some proper rest this weekend.