Lamentations: When God Is SilentNäide

New Every Morning

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. (v. 22)

One of my privileges as a pastor is getting to know people who’ve lived a long time. I hear their life stories and benefit from their wisdom. But occasionally, they express a unique kind of grief: running out of things to look forward to.

During the exile, it was nearly impossible for God’s people to imagine better things to come. But God had prepared them for these devastating circumstances. The worship life of the ancient Israelites was punctuated by songs that recalled God’s past faithfulness. The purpose of passages like Psalms 78 and 136 was to look back with gratitude in order to look forward with hope.

As believers in the living God, we can find meaning in the present by reflecting on blessings from the past. Through the discipline of remembering, we can recover not only moments of joy and peace but evidence of God’s abiding presence. The experience of God’s past faithfulness, in turn, lends credibility to God’s prophetic promises. The God who’s been true to his servants can be trusted to be true to his word. The God who’s been a constant friend in this life can be trusted to provide comfort and safe passage into the next. As Jeremiah testified, “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (v. 22)—and make every morning new.

As you pray, reflect on God’s past faithfulness and trust his future blessing.