It was the prophet Jeremiah who wrote the Book of Lamentations. Because Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians due to the judgment of God, it was a time of deep grief and national mourning.
In this short book, Jeremiah laments over many aspects of the situation, but sandwiched in the middle, we find his confident hope in the mercies of God.
How could Jeremiah have such confidence in the mercies of God, declaring they are new every morning when surrounded by such anguish? How can we?
Every day we can remind ourselves that the character of God is full of perpetual mercy that never runs out or expires.
Jeremiah Knew and Recalled
Mercy is love in action and it is written that God is love.
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8, emphasis mine).
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16, emphasis mine).
Although Jeremiah didn’t have the scriptures from 1 John to show him how God is love, he had others. How do we know this? Because he begins his hope-filled declaration of “new mercies every morning” with recalling.
Jeremiah could only recall something he had known before.
This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope (Lamentations 3:21).
What did he recall? He recalled the steadfastness and faithfulness of God’s love for his people.
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).
How Jeremiah Knew
Jeremiah had a relationship with God that he could draw upon. Also, he could have recalled the words of others who spoke of God’s mercy, love, and new mornings that bring hope. People like Moses, King David, and the prophets.
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! (Psalm 36:5-10).
For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy (Psalm 59:16-17).
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me (Isaiah 49:15-16).
LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
Jeremiah remembered God as a God of mercy. He believed God would remember mercy too, even in the midst of his righteous anger.
Refresh Every Morning
Mornings symbolize freshness, new beginnings, and hope. Just as each new morning brings a newness of day, and fresh light that drives out the darkness of night, we can refresh our souls in the same way.
With every dawn, we can look for the light of God’s word to break through the darkness in our lives and feed hope into our souls.
Each and every day we can feed on the great love, mercy, and faithfulness of God. We can do this with Scripture.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:8-10).
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:8-14).
We can do this with faith-filled songs.
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
The mercies of God can be new every morning for us because our God is rich in mercy.
Accessing Mercy
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 2:17 that Jesus is our great and merciful high priest. It is through him that we access the mercy of God to receive forgiveness as well as all his other blessings.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:4-10).
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Every morning we can access new mercies because it is written:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
For further reading:
Why Is There Suffering in this World?
What Does Love in Action Look Like?
How Do We Love the Lord with All Our Hearts, Souls, and Minds?
Why Is it Always Darkest Before the Dawn and Is it True for COVID-19?
Why Do We Need Jesus as Our High Priest?
How Is Jesus the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/valio84sl
Danielle Bernock is an international, award-winning author, coach, and speaker who helps people embrace their value and heal their souls through the power of the love of God. She’s written Emerging With Wings, A Bird Named Payn, Love’s Manifesto, Because You Matter, and hosts the Victorious Souls Podcast. A long-time follower of Christ, Danielle lives with her husband in Michigan near her adult children and grandchildren. For more information or to connect with Danielle https://www.daniellebernock.com/
