New compassion...

Week 41:

Lamentations 3:22-24 22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Nestled amongst the verses of Lament is this jewel of a passage about God and His nature.  The Israelites are going through the exile yet, even during the tough times, the author takes time to note that God still loves enough not to consume his people. 

God has every right to wipe the Israelites completely off of the face of the planet.  He has chosen them to be his people yet they continue to stray away from him.  He allows them to be oppressed in order for them to call on him once again.  Yet, amidst all of this, he still has compassion on them.



What a comfort this is to me.  I stray from God and his love and direction…even if it is just a period of distraction.  God has every right to abandon me and say, “This is the last time you stray from me!”  Yet His compassions for me are new, everyday.  Notice the Lamenter saying, “…great is your faithfulness.”  Even when we are not faithful to God, he is still faithful to us.  What a comfort! 

Now the Lamenter renews his vow to stay close to God by waiting on Him.  During this tribulation time, the Lamenter sees God’s compassion and is inspired to wait until God calms the storm.  That is very much what I need to recognize during my times of storm and trial (some of my times of storm and trail may very well be God touching me to call on Him again).  God’s compassion is new every morning and I need to wait on His deliverance.  Great is His faithfulness…I will wait.

Questions/Challenges:

1.        Describe a time when you have strayed and felt God’s hand of oppression to bring you back to Him.

2.       When did you know it was time to call on Him again?

3.       How did His compassion show for you?

4.       Spend some time in silence reflecting on God’s faithfulness to you and His compassion on you.  Share that with someone this week.


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