THE VERSE
My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end.~Lamentations 3:20-22
THE THOUGHT
Jeremiah, sitting in the ruins of Jerusalem, viewing the destruction that God had brought because of the people's sin, had every reason to despair. As he looked at the hopelessness around him and remember his own afflictions, he said, "I have forgotten what happiness is; my endurance has perished, and so has my hope from the LORD." He despaired.But what Jeremiah did next is incredibly instructive to each of us in the midst of trials. He lifted his head, looked past his circumstances, and reminded himself of what was still true. He reminded himself of the steadfast love and mercy of God. Even though his circumstances had changed, God's love for Him had not, and so Jeremiah fixed his heart on that.
This is called "preaching the Gospel to yourself" and it is one of the greatest comforts, blessings, and privileges that God has given to His children. In the midst of affliction, trial, or discouragement, God has set forth His promises as a beacon in the dark, calling us back to the cross where the steafast love and never-ending mercy of God was put on display for us. In our trials, God still demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So turn your eyes to Calvary, call to mind His mercies, and say to your soul, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my salvation and my God!"
THE PRAYER
Lord, Thank you for Your steadfast love. When everything else is lost, Your steadfast love is better than life. Thank you for Your never-ending mercies, new every morning. Every day You have provided, through Jesus, new grace to cover my sin and give me strength. Thank you for Your great and enduring faithfulness. When everything falls, Your faithfulness remains unshaken, and when I am faithless, You remain faithful, for You cannot deny Yourself.EXTENDED READING
Lamentations 3:16-25Psalm 42:3-6
THE QUOTE
"There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else...It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work...All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness." ~C.S. Lewis
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