Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 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. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lam. 3:19-24
Dear heavenly Father, this day begins, like every day, with a fresh deposit of your mercies. You overwhelm us with your kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. We join Jeremiah in “calling to mind” your steadfast love. In fact, we can call to mind much more of your love and faithfulness than Jeremiah; because we live in a more enviable day than the prophet did.
Jeremiah spoke of the coming of Jesus and the provision of the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34); but we live on this side of those blessed events. How much quicker should we praise you, and how much greatershould our hope be.
Indeed, Lord Jesus, you’re the reason we’re not consumed with guilt and paralyzed with fear, for you took the judgment we deserved on the cross. Because of you, God has forgiven all our wickedness and will never remember our sins against us (Jer. 31:34). You took our sin and gave us your righteousness—O glorious exchange (2 Cor. 5:21). Thus, we look at you and loudly proclaim, “The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jer. 33:16)—the Lord, my righteousness!
Father, because of our rich standing in grace, we join Jeremiah in lamenting our wanderings. With humility, we still sing, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” We need the gospel every day and every hour, and we rejoice in your tenacious commitment to pursue and keep us.
But in the New Year, when we temporarily lose sight of Jesus, make the gall even more galling; make the bitterness even more bitter; make downcast feel even more downcast. We don’t want, ever, to get used to living out of vital fellowship with you.
In view of your steadfast love and never-failing compassions, we proclaim, “The Lord is our portion” (Lam. 3:24). Our hope is in you. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and tender name.