God’s Mercy Brings Hope

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

It is only because of God’s mercies that we continue to live with hope.  It is the mercies of God that has kept us from utter destruction.  Sin is so rampant across the globe that if God decided to wipe out earth’s population today like He did in Noah’s day, He would be completely justified.  How many of us would He find in the same category as Noah, one who found grace in God’s eyes and was spared, along with his immediately family?  Or would He just consume us all, the saved to heaven and the rest to, well, you know.  However, He has allowed His mercy to override His wrath and anger to allow more people to come to faith in Christ.  God’s compassion on His creation trumps His anger at sinners.  When He punishes His own people, it is out of His love and compassion for them, not out of revenge.  God’s compassion allows His grace to intervene in situations that seem hopeless.  His compassion will never fail to guide His justice.

Each day brings a fresh supply of God’s mercy which is never depleted.  Humans aren’t like that.  We are a compassionate people, but we have limits as to how far and/or how long our compassion will sustain particularly over those who take advantage of our mercy and/or our generosity in meeting their needs.  On the other hand, God’s mercy doesn’t have a limit, even to those who sin against Him.  Every day that God allows sinners to live is another opportunity for them to seek forgiveness, to turn from sin, and believe in Christ.  God’s faithfulness is immeasurable.  He is the originator of faith.  He operates through faith.  What He says He will do, He does.  His word is a book of faith which is intertwined with hope.  Faith is knowing that whatever God promises, He will fulfill even though we can’t see it up ahead.

Jeremiah wrote, “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him” (3:24).  He was claiming what he and all believers have that they can never lose.  Worldly possessions never last.  Material items wear out, get destroyed, or lose their usefulness.  Friends and relatives pass away or grow apart leaving us without earthly companionships.  Even our own bodies grow weak and unable to function as they once did, eventually succumbing to death.  The one and only thing that we can hang onto with confidence is the Lord.  Everything else fails.  We can’t put our faith in anything but God.

Jeremiah continued in his praise of God:  “The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him” (3:25).  God is good to everyone whether they realize it or not, and He is particularly good to those who seek Him and wait for His answers.  That doesn’t mean that God gives His followers an easy life.  Believers sometimes travel a more difficult path than unbelievers.  As I wrote in yesterday’s blog, an easy life would most likely bring complacency, causing believers to become less dependent upon the Lord, and slack in worship and service.  God does what is necessary to keep His people focused on Him.  He also knows those who are sincere in their pursuit of Christlikeness versus those who are only “playing” Christians.  God blesses those who promote the cause of Christ in many ways, some obvious and some in secret.

Jeremiah emphasized the truth that “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD” (3:26).  Some folks hate waiting.  Almost everywhere one goes, he or she has to wait in line.  As adults, we should be used to waiting, but it gets some folks riled up if they can’t get served immediately.  This age of instant gratification has made many of us spoiled brats, wanting our way.  Too bad folks don’t desire to become part of God’s family with the same urgency.  Those of us who are saved were brought into God’s family by grace through faith, the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).  When we truly repent and turn from sin and place our faith in Christ, God seals us with His Holy Spirit of promise as the earnest of our inheritance in Christ and eternal life (Ephesians 3:13-14).  Think about the earnest money that you pay when purchasing a home.  You do not own the home until the day of closing when all the papers are signed.  The earnest money was to ensure that the house would be yours once you made the final purchase.  When a person repents and believes in Christ, he or she is in a state of salvation, an assurance of eternal life, but his or her salvation is not complete until he or she passes from this life into eternity.  The Holy Spirit which is given to us when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior is to keep us secure in our salvation journey as we quietly wait for the completion of our spiritual journey when we see Jesus face to face.  In the meantime, as we wait and hope for that glorious day when we leave this sin-cursed world and open our eyes in paradise, we are to do good and bless those who cross our paths.  That’s when we are most like Jesus.