In the early morning light, I read these familiar words …
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.”
(Lamentations 3:22, NIV)
The words fell a bit differently on my soul. I had always taken the verse to mean the Lord’s anger did not consume us because of His love for us. And that is certainly be true.
But that morning, it fell with new meaning. What if it actually meant something entirely different as well? Could it mean because of the Lord’s great love for us, we do not need to be consumed by our circumstances? By our broken hearts? By our disappointments? By our health issues? By stress? By financial struggles?
As the light dawned on the day, it also dawned on the verse.
It is because of the Lord’s great love for us, and His compassion which knows no end, that we are not consumed by whatever may come up in our lives.
“The realization of God’s mercy, compassion, and faithfulness generated hope in Jeremiah’s soul, turning his contemplation of trouble into a confession of faith … faith enables us to look at our circumstances through the reality of God, and this gives us hope.”
(from the Wiersbe Study Bible, page 1166)
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about
you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
(Isaiah 41:10, NASB)
May we remember this - when the Lord is our strength,
we are being held up by a strength which cannot be exhausted,
for His compassions never fail.
Reflection:
What is trying to consume you today? Remember both of these verses and
the promise of God’s compassion and strength He is extending to you.
Image by Lagrange from Pixabay
The devil has many offensives with a host of different flanks to attack my peace - knowing that God's compassion is with me as I trust Him to defend me - that has been a game changer. This has been a school year of God's compassion and encouragement as I try to balance a new thing in my doings and responsiblities - His compassion and encouragement have allowed me to push through and experience the joy of it (and survive the exasperation of it). Shalon, my friend! A good Monday morning word!
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of this passage from that perspective, but it is true. We don't have to be consumed by anything because we have Him.
ReplyDelete