December 30
Bible Reading: Lamentations 3:19-26
God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, warning him of the hardships he would face, both personally and as a messenger to his people. Despite facing persecution, Jeremiah faithfully delivered God’s message, warning of impending judgment. However, the people refused to listen, and judgment eventually came.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured Jerusalem, destroying the city and the temple, and taking many people into captivity. The streets were littered with corpses, and only a few impoverished people remained to farm the land. Jeremiah witnessed this devastation firsthand—the destruction, the suffering, and the heartbreaking pain. In response, he wrote, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord” (Lamentations 3:18).
Jeremiah’s grief was not just because of the destruction, but because it was an affront to everything he cherished—the city, the temple, the priesthood, and his people. Yet, in the midst of his despair, Jeremiah found hope, saying, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21). This verse highlights the importance of thinking rightly about God. Jeremiah’s circumstances spoke of hopelessness, but he reminded himself of truths about God that gave him hope.
Jeremiah recalled God’s steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’” (Lamentations 3:22-24). Jeremiah may have thought back to God’s promises of future restoration or reflected on how God had led him to purchase land in the midst of the destruction, affirming that one day, “houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land” (Jeremiah 32:15).
In remembering God’s faithfulness, Jeremiah found hope. In times of personal or national turmoil, it is essential to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness. When challenges threaten to overwhelm us, we can hold onto the promises in Scripture and trust in God’s unchanging nature. Just as God was faithful to Jeremiah, He will remain faithful to us.
“Upon God’s faithfulness rests our whole hope of future blessedness.”—A. W. Tozer
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed Thy hand hath provided:
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest;
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]
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