“… therefore I have hope…”

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:21-23

Lament, when truly focused on God, will make a sweet refreshing turn to hope. That is what Jeremiah did as he languished over all the death and destruction in his life around the fall of Jerusalem. He wept and mourned. He poured out his grief, his disbelief at the appalling remnants of pain, his feelings of confusion at God… all of these were directed to God as Jeremiah flooded heaven with his memories and mourning. And God’s Spirit brought to mind a hope for him that overpowered even the most persistent pains.

It is important to realize that in choosing lament, we also choose hope. Jeremiah mourned with frustration, fear, and heartache while simultaneously turning to the God of hope. The pain was real. And thankfully, so was the hope! So when we mourn and lament what feels so very awful, we too can eventually experience a real, consistent, and lasting hope.

Let’s briefly unfold this fourfold hope. In the perspective God provides we can move beyond lament to a true hope because:

1). God’s grace never ceases. The steadfast love of God (Hesed in Hebrew) will not cease, even in the sinking, seeming finality of our losses. God will still be gracious to us as we look to Him, even if the best that our souls can find in prayer is complaint. God will always be gracious. Always! This is very important to know and believe.

2) God’s mercies are endless. That means even if I struggle to properly worship God, to keep my heart where it should be, God understands. He forgives in mercy because in my confused seeking He still loves me. It is never a bad thing to turn to God… never! It is always the best thing to do, and we will find mercy!

3) God’s loving grace and mercy are both new every day. I get no leftovers in His love! God pours out new morning mercies… fresh, vibrant, and pure just for our unique needs. He counts us as precious in our pain, custom tailoring a mercy to fit our experiences!

4) God’s faithfulness is great. My faith often slips. My hope fades. My trust can be so meager in my pain. “Oh me of little faith!” But God cannot be less than greatly faithful to those who are in Christ! He keeps covenant! He calls me back in my weakness. He loves me still in my faltering. It is not up to me, but ALL up to Him and that is why I have hope! Great is His faithfulness in all lament.