But how many of us have slept much too peacefully night after night, year after year, poised on the very brink of our entrance to eternity, lying to ourselves, about our identity in Christ: whether being the lost, the tares, or the redeemed, the justified!
Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:9
The story is told of a man who had been condemned by a Spanish court to be shot. Because he was an American citizen and of English birth, the consuls of the United States and England decided to intervene. They declared that the Spanish authorities had no power to put him to death. Their protest went unheeded, and the Spaniards proceeded to prepare the firing squad.
As the time of the execution was scheduled to take place, the consuls boldly approached the accused man, already tied and blindfolded, and wrapped him in their flags – the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. Then they shouted, “Fire a shot if you dare! If you do so, you will bring the powers of our two great empires upon you.” There stood the prisoner, unharmed. One bullet could have ended his life, but protected by those flags and the governments they represented, he was invulnerable.
Bottom Line:
Similarly, though actually light years beyond our comprehension of His pardoning effect, the Lord Jesus takes the soul of the sinner who believes in Him and covers the guilty one with His blood. Thus, wrapped and sheltered by the Savior, he is safe. Actually, we are safe!
Isn’t it reassuring to know that even during the uncertainties of our world today including its “wokey”…. (defined as “pejorative for a white liberal who uses social injustice as an opportunity to boost their own ego by making self-gratifying posts on social media. Their actions indirectly hinder justice and equality by creating a divisive atmosphere in which peaceful dialogue becomes impossible. They estimate their own intelligence to be much greater than it actually is, making them highly susceptible to the Dunning-Kruger effect. They impose their beliefs on others and attempt to sabotage the livelihood of anyone who doesn’t conform to their ideas that are based in pseudoscience… courtesy of urbandictionary.com. Relax if you’ve been offended by the definition. Tomorrow I’ll print a recent newsletter from the other camp that may well offend the other camp. And that will be last I’ll allow any more political rhetoric)
…. failing governments, that we have a verse such as Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
In my opinion these are some of the most comforting and reassuring words you will find in the Bible. God’s love and mercy not only are never ending, but are being renewed every morning. Can you find greater hope than that? But how does this work and how are God’s mercies new every morning? When you grasp God’s character, then you will understand why this is even possible.
For Your Further Reflection:
The following 1368 spot on words were published by speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of the Bible Study Club, Clarence Haynes Jr., presently committed to helping 10,000 people learn to study the Bible. To learn more, visit clarencehaynes.com.
But What Does ‘His Mercies Are New Every Morning’ Mean?
First, consider, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.” To help understand this verse better, I want to define the word steadfast. According to Merriam-Webster, steadfast means firmly fixed in place, immovable, and not subject to change.
This gives you a picture of what God’s love is towards you. God’s love towards you is fixed, it is immovable, and it will not change. Not only will it not change, it is not subject to change, meaning it is not even open for conversation or debate. He will not reconsider his decision to love you. He loves you, that is final, and the case is closed on that.
His love towards you will not change. There has never been nor will there ever be any thought or temptation that will come into God’s mind to stop loving you. This verse is a reminder that his immovable love will never cease. As we look at the rest of this verse remember this first part, that God loves you, and watch how it ties together.
Next consider, “His mercies never come to an end”
Once you understand the first part of the verse, this statement makes perfect sense because God’s mercy is a byproduct of God’s love. Since his love will never end, neither will his mercy. The only reason this is possible is because he has an immovable love towards you that is not subject to change. To make this really stick I want you to consider this word in the Hebrew. The word for “to end” is Kala(h). Here is what this word means and how you can use it: “Finish, complete, be concluded, be gone, wear out, fail, no longer be in an able or capable condition, grow weary, perish, or be in a state of ruin.” Think about it like this.
God’s mercy towards you
– Will never finish
– Will never be concluded
– Will never be gone
– Will never wear out
– Will never fail
– Will never lose it ability to function on your behalf
– Will never grow weary
– Will never perish
– Will never be in a state of ruin
Because God is eternal, so is his mercy that is born from his immovable love towards you, Next consider His mercies are new every morning.
If there is a question to be asked, it is how are God’s mercies new every morning? We already know his mercy flows out of his love. Since he has eternal love then his mercy will be as well because they are connected.The statement that God’s mercies are new every morning is really a reminder to us. God gives mercy for each day and it is refilled and refreshed each morning. This is not just a statement about availability, it is also about access. Regardless of how often you have to rely on God’s mercy, which is every day for me, you can always come back for more. This is not a license to tempt God, live in sin, and then call on his mercy. If that is your mindset, the promise of this verse does not apply to you. If your heart is set to follow God and walk in obedience to him, but you find yourself falling short, this verse is for you.
There is mercy every single day that is available and that you can access to help you and address your situation. Don’t worry – the mercy won’t run out because the reservoir is refreshed every morning.
Last, may we focus on “Great is your faithfulness.”
This last line ties the whole thought together. God’s immovable love flows into mercy that will never end, which you will always be able to access. The reason you can depend on it is because of God’s faithfulness. It doesn’t matter how much a person makes a promise if their word is not worth anything. The good news is that’s God’s word means everything to him. Psalm 138:2 tells us that God honors his word above his name. It is God’s faithfulness to his word that will cause him to remain steadfast to his promise.
So, What Is the Context of Lamentations 3 and ‘His Mercies Are New Every Morning’?
This book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah. It is a book that laments over the fall of Jerusalem caused by the sinful condition of Judah. They were experiencing God’s judgment because of their refusal to turn from their sinful ways. Within this book, Jeremiah expresses his sorrow for the condition of his country, but also his hope for God’s mercy to be shown again. The book is a reminder of the heavy price to pay when someone refuses to give up their sinful lifestyle, but it gives hope for those who choose to. Here is how Chuck Swindoll worded his thoughts on Lamentations.
“The people of this once great city experienced the judgment of the holy God, and the results were devastating. But at the heart of this book, at the center of this lament over the effects of sin in the world, sit a few verses devoted to hope in the Lord (Lamentations 3:22–25). This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of the surrounding darkness shines as a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin and disobedience.”
The true beauty of Lamentations is that even the hardest, most sinful person can still find hope in a God who is willing to pour out mercy on anyone who comes to him in repentance.
What Does ‘His Mercies Are New Every Morning’ Mean for Us?
How can we take the reality that God’s mercies are new every morning and apply them to our lives?
Repent Quickly – Because God is merciful, don’t use that as an excuse for sin. Instead let that be the reason you come and repent quickly. Don’t let God’s mercy be the reason you think you can sin and get away with it. Rather let God’s mercy be the reason you avoid sin, because you recognize the value of his mercy.
Renew Frequently – Because you have fresh mercy every morning you can renew your commitment to God every day. Regardless of the mistakes or bad decisions you may have made (by bad I am not just talking about sinful decisions but bad choices you wish you could take back) you can begin each day with a new slate. There is mercy to help you overcome the poor choices of yesterday.
Rejoice Continually – Because there is mercy every day, you can rejoice continually. You don’t have to live on eggshells wondering if God has changed his mind about you. No, you can live in the freedom knowing that you are loved and God has a reservoir of mercy for you that will be available every moment of your life. This is reason to rejoice.
Conclusion:
If there is one word I would use to conclude this wonderful truth of God’s mercies that are new every morning, the only word to use is “amen,” which simply means “so be it.” The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. Amen, or so be it.