The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)
When we have that sort of outlook on life in Christ, every day is a new adventure. Yet the words come from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, probaby soon after the fall of Jerusalem and the deportation of the people to Babylon. It was a terrible time, full of despair, uncertainty and doubt. One has to wonder how anyone could think that any good thing could come from the new day. Yet Jeremiah’s faith in God found him expecting great things.
As we see in the previous and following verses of Lamentations, this isn’t a rose tinted glasses type outlook. Jeremiah also said, “He has made my teeth grind on gravel” and “I have forgotten what happiness is.” Jeremiah is very aware of what a lousy life he has. It is weighing him down. He is “bereft of peace.” How can he say “great is your faithfulness”?.
Paul was facing the same despair as Jeremiah, abandoned, in a cold damp jail, and facing certain death yet he echos Jeremiah’s feelings when he told Timothy “But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength.” Each day was a new opportunity for Paul. His dedication to Christ and the calling he had been given gave Paul a reason to wake up every day and the strength God gave him allowed him to fulfill it. With his eye on God Paul could proclaim the word of God,
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. -Lamentations 3:23 (NLT)
