Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Credit: I edited parts of Chuck Smith's sermon on Lamentations 3:22-23. Some of Warren Wiersbe's commentary may be mixed with my words and thoughts. I also edited from Chatgpt as a source.

"Great is thy faithfulness"

Lamentations 3:22-23

One Sunday, a minister decided that a visual demonstration:

­ would add emphasis to his sermon,

­ so, as he stood before the congregation,

­ He placed four worms into four separate jars.

He explained he was putting:

­ the first worm into a jar with alcohol,

­ the second worm into a jar filled with cigarette smoke,

­ the third worm into a jar with chocolate syrup, and

­ the fourth worm into a jar with good clean soil.

The minister continued with his sermon:

­ saying that at the end of the sermon,

­ they would take note of

­ how the worms were doing.

At the conclusion of the sermon the minister reported the following results:

­ The first worm in alcohol was dead.

­ The second worm in cigarette smoke was dead.

­ The third worm in chocolate syrup was also dead.

­ But the fourth worm in good clean soil was alive and well.

The Minister then asked the congregation,

“What can you learn from this demonstration?”

An old man in the back quickly raised his hand and said,

“What we learn from this demonstration is that as long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms!”

I tried really hard to make that joke fit my sermon, but it won’t so let’s move on…

We have about 360 days left of the New Year…

A New Year gives us:

- a chance to look back

- to mark significant events that happened

- to measure successes and failures

Last year:

­ we faced some challenges

­ we had struggles

­ Our congregation lost a few faithful members

This year:

- we will once again face some challenges

- problems and struggles will reveal themselves

- we cannot say what this year will bring

It is also a time when we look forward to the future:

- it is a time to set goals,

- to look forward to events we might enjoy…

We might make goals:

- that pertain to things we can control

- to be more disciplined in our lives

- to work harder at things that matter the most

2025 is only a few days old:

- what will happen is mostly a mystery

- what will break our hearts or bring tears of joy

- those things are unknown right now

But there is ONE THING that is certain:

- God will be there

- God will be Faithful

- His love will never cease

No matter what the future holds…. God is faithful

We can decide right now:

- that we will not put our hopes in a politician

- that we will not place our confidence in wealth

- we will not fear what men may do to us

We will trust God more than anyone or anything…. BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL!

In January 2026 we want to be found to have:

- trusted in the Lord with all our hearts

- to lean on God, not our own understanding

- to look to Him alone in the good times and the bad

This morning, we would like to focus on Lamentations chapter 3

Where Jeremiah said,

"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.'" - Lamentations 3:21-24 (NIV)

The book of Lamentations was authored by:

­ the prophet Jeremiah,

­ Who witnessed the destruction and the Fall of Jerusalem

­ to the Babylonians in 586 BC

Lamentations is a collection of Jeremiah’s grief and mourning over:

­ the fall of the city,

­ the suffering of its people, and

­ the judgment of God.

Jeremiah writes while looking:

- at the wreckage of Jerusalem:

- the temple has been destroyed, and

- many Israelites were either killed or taken into exile.

Jeremiah saw the temple of God profaned and destroyed.

­ The fires consumed the rubble of the city, and

­ now Jeremiah sits, viewing the remains

­ with the signs of death everywhere

It appears that:

­ God has become an enemy

­ rather than a friend to His people.

Some think that God is only:

­ Merciful and compassionate

­ Thinking that means they

­ Reject God without consequence…

Jeremiah helps us to understand that God is:

­ not only loving, merciful and compassionate

­ He is also righteous and just.

­ He brings judgment against the wicked.