The Word - May 18, 2012 - HOPE IN THE MIDST OF DESPAIR

"The faithfulness of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin anew every morning. I say to myself, The Lord is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He was called by God to take a message to the rebellious nation of Israel. Jeremiah was obedient to his calling, but when the nation received the punishment he predicted, Jeremiah was devastated. We read about the anguish of his heart and mind, but also the comfort God gave him in the midst of his hurt.

Our Scripture verses above are the best loved verses in the entire Bible. They succinctly capture our gratitude for the Lord's consistent love and kindness; even when we don't deserve it! Even when things in life have not been going well, we too are able to respond with "Great is His faithfulness."

Yes! We can hope in the midst of hurt! We not only can say, "Great is His faithfulness," after the period of suffering or struggle is over, but we can experience God's "every morning" mercies and faithfulness in the midst of our hurt. The book of Lamentations clearly teaches us that such a hope is possible for believers in Jesus Christ.

It is important to recognize that it was not the nation as a whole who could say "great is His faithfulness." No, it was just the handful of people who had remained faithful to the Lord. It was because of their faithfulness to the Lord that they found hope in these promises. They knew God had not forsaken them because they knew He would be faithful to His Word.

How encouraging this can be for us! Sometimes we suffer because of our own sins and mistakes. Sometimes we hurt because of what other people have done. Sometimes we suffer and it seems no one's to blame; it just happened.

When we realize that we deserve nothing from God and yet know that "all things work together for good to those who love God," we gain a greater appreciation for how God walks with us through the rough times as well as the good.

Beloved, this life is only a fleeting moment compared to eternity. The hurts of today will soon be gone forever. For the Believer in Christ there is surely hope in the midst of our hurt!