This post is part of a 40-Day Prayer Journey through the season of Lent. Click here to learn more and read other posts in the series.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
The nature of the sinful world we live in teaches us that nothing lasts forever.
Materially, cars break down, batteries die, clothes wear out, structures deteriorate, and more. Relationally, friendships, family bonds, courtships, and marriages get strained and even end altogether. Physically, health fails, people age, and bodies grow frail before we eventually pass away.
We realize that this is all due to the effects of sin on the world.
Our God reveals something in his Word that is contrary to the nature of the sinful world we live in—something contrary to everything else we experience in life. As the psalmist said again and again, “His love endures forever.”
In these verses from Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah makes it clear that God’s compassions never fail; they never run out—and they never will. They’re new every morning, and they always will be until the day our God returns to make all things new as he has promised in his Word.
Why?
God’s new morning compassions certainly aren’t because we keep ourselves from doing things that would justify God’s righteous judgment on us. We sin every day—constantly. If God were like us, his patience and compassion would quickly wear thin, run out, and fail altogether. But God isn’t like us—he’s perfect, holy, loving, and merciful beyond measure.
Our God loves us and has compassion on us because of his great faithfulness. Think of how he describes himself in his Word: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Those qualities and attributes are not contingent on us—they’re simply, wonderfully, and amazingly who our God is and who he will always be.
Can we sometimes take advantage of his grace and mercy? Can we sometimes become complacent in our lives of faith and not strive to follow God’s will for our lives as his children? Unfortunately, yes. God, forgive us!
Thanks be to God for Jesus, who followed God’s will and kept his law perfectly in our place!
Thanks be to God for Jesus, whose righteousness and perfection are ours through faith in him. Thanks be to God for Jesus, who encourages us and motivates us with the gospel to daily struggle against sin and live for God in thankfulness to him.
Today, as you pray, ask that through his Word, God would continue working on the hearts of his people, teaching daily thankfulness for his mercy and grace. And thank God for his never-ending, unfailing love and compassion for his people for Jesus’ sake.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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