Welcome to Day 26. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Lamentations 3:21-25.
Read Lamentations 3:21-25.
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
The mercies of God are new every morning! I love to savor that thought every day.
Can you read the Lamentations 3:21-25 without singing it?
I will tell you the story of God's faithfulness behind the 'Great is thy faithfulness' hymn in a minute but first join me in digging up the scripture treasure that is found in understanding who wrote these verses and setting the context for them. It will give you a deeper comprehension of God's faithfulness to you.
Lamentations 3:21-25 meaning
What does it mean "His mercies are new every morning?"
It is thought that Jeremiah the Prophet is the author of the book in the Bible called Lamentations.
Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. He had much to weep about!
We read that Jeremiah is deeply depressed and full of sorrow in the first twenty verses of Lamentations 3.
He is in such despair that he cannot hear the Lord's voice.
The book of Lamentations describes great anguish—and great hope—in poetic form. The main theme of the book is God’s judgment on Judah’s sin as well as His compassion for His people. Lamentations contain “laments” or “loud cries” for Jerusalem and many expressions of anguish and pain, but in chapter 3, right in the middle of the book, there is a beautiful passage of confidence and hope.
Jeremiah had witnessed the sacking of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the destruction of Jerusalem by fire, and the slaughter and enslavement of the people of Israel. Jeremiah had also been persecuted by his own fellow Israelites. They did not desire to hear the messages of God that Jeremiah sought to tell them. We can see why Jeremiah was depressed. But then he remembered God's faithfulness to him in the past.
We can learn an awesome lesson from Jeremiah. Jeremiah had surrendered to God all his life. He was faithful in following all God's commands but in the first 20 verses of Lamentations chapter 3, we read of his deep distress but then suddenly it all changes!
The mercies of God are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-23)
Jeremiah suddenly changes his attitude. In Lamentations 3:21- 23, Jeremiah does a remarkable thing that we can do too. He recalled to his mind all that God had done for him in the past. He remembered God's faithfulness to him. God had given many promises to Israel despite their unfaithfulness and Jeremiah reminded himself that God keeps His promises.
Jeremiah realized that God's mercies are new every morning and He is full of mercy and grace and compassion.
Thomas Chisholm
Another man in more modern times had suffered a similar depression that Jeremiah had, although the circumstances were very different. Thomas Chisholm shares his story through a most beloved hymn that we all enjoy singing and that hymn is called 'Great is thy faithfulness.'
"Thomas Chisholm was born in a simple log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky, in 1866. Lacking a high school education or any college training, he became a school teacher at the age of 16 and later entered the newspaper business.
The following years found him ordained a pastor, but poor health forced him to leave the ministry. After a time of recuperation, he moved to New Jersey to work as an insurance agent. A prolific writer of poetry, he sent a collection of his poems in 1923 to his good friend William Runyan, a musician associated with Chicago's Moody Bible Institute, who also worked for a hymnal publishing company." Excerpt from Lifeway.
William Runyan published the hymn that same year.
It is such a great hymn based on Lamentations 3:23. God's mercies are new every morning!
Join me below for a 'new mercies every morning' short devotional and prayer.
New Mercies Every Morning (Lamentations 3:21-25)
Jeremiah was able to get out of the pit of depression by practicing a spiritual discipline. He recalled to his mind the truths that he knew about God. He knew his bible well. He only had the Torah (our Old Testament) but He knew the promises of God and as soon as he recalled them to his mind and meditated on them, his depression lifted.
Let's examine the 6 statements that Jeremiah made about new mercies every morning in Lamentations 3:21-25.
1. God's love and mercy never ends.
We may not always long or seek for His presence but the truth is that God is love and He yearns for you to seek His presence and to rest in it. It doesn't matter how great a sin you have committed. Once you repent and have a true change of heart, God extends His mercy to you, and you are welcomed into His holy presence. You will find bible verses about God's unconditional love HERE
2. God's mercies are new every morning. His compassion never fails. His compassion for you and me never becomes weak or weary! His banner is over you. Do you know the name of God, Yahweh Nissi? With God as your banner, you will remember that God is powerful enough to overcome any foe. You can read more about this name of God HERE
3. God is faithful. His word is true. Get to know His promises in the Bible, meditate on them and then when like Jeremiah you are depressed, recall them to mind. You will find a list of bible verses about God's promises HERE
4. The Lord is your portion forever. You are His daughter. You are the daughter of The King. In the midst of trials, it is easy to seek comfort in temporal things, but true hope lies in making God your ultimate portion, recognizing that He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart. You can read a wonderful list of bible verses about what it means to be a daughter of The King HERE. You will also find free printable cards with biblical affirmations on them.
5. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. It is hard to wait for God and His plan to unfold in your life but You can hold on to this truth that God is good to those who wait for Him. Patience and persistence are vital in our journey of hope. As we trust in His timing and actively seek His presence, we will experience His goodness and blessings in profound ways. You can read a list of 31 bible verses about waiting on God Here.
6. God is good to those who seek Him.
Those are great statements to keep recalling to your mind.
Which of these statements do you need to be reminded of today?
Take some time in God's presence and ask Him to speak to you. You can use the following free guided prayer journal to help you sit still and seek God's presence. You will find it in our Resource Library.
Today's devotional is based on Lamentations 3:21-25 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan. You will find a free printable PDF of 31 scriptures about God's presence in the Resource Library. It has a bible reading plan, guided prayer, and gratitude journal. Download this free printable or grab a notebook and answer the following questions.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart.
Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verse today, Lamentations 3:21-25.
Scripture Prayer
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying Lamentations 3:21-25.
Thank You Father for Your unending love for me. Your mercies are new every morning. Thank you for the promises that are throughout the whole Bible. Help me to understand Your word of truth and apply them to my life. Forgive me for the times when I run away from Your presence. Thank you that You are good to those who wait for You to work in our lives and seek You. Amen.
Related Resources:
You will find Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures HERE. It will have the list of 31 Bible verses that we are using for 31 days that our short powerful daily devotionals are based on.
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xx Karen.
