Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:21-23
When we think of faithfulness we think of someone who is, firm in his or her commitment. We think of someone who is permanent in his or her position. We think of someone who is reliable. When we think of the many people of the Scriptures that represents faithfulness the Prophet Jeremiah quickly come to mind.
Jeremiah is the author of the Book of Lamentations. Jeremiah is also referred to as the weeping prophet. The Book of Lamentations tells of his sorrows over the tragedy that befell the city, the country and, the people of Israel. In response to what happened, he urged repentance. He knew that God was a God of mercy and compassion. He stood in the Gap for his people and urged them to return to God. Through the pages of Lamentations, we are given a glimpse into the awful sufferings endured by the people of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar. However, Jeremiah knew what God would do for his people and for himself. Jeremiah knew that God was faithful. Jeremiah knew that God would do what He said He would do.
God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1: 5-6, ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.’ Jeremiah being a little insecure replied ‘Lord Jehovah, behold, I know not how to speak for I am a child.’ Many times, God calls upon us to do something we feel is strange. God calls us to do the impossible task and we deem ourselves inadequate. However, we must come to understand that with men it is impossible but not with God. For with God all things are possible.
It is here in Lamentations where the Prophet remembered that although he is a man of constant sorrows and he has seen many afflictions by the rod of God’s wrath, there is still hope. Jeremiah knew that God was His portion. Therefore, he had hope. He knew God to be faithful because every morning in spite of his sin, God gave him mercy. After all that Jeremiah had endured, among the rubble and ruin of Jerusalem, he is able to stand forth and lift his voice in praise to God for His great, unfailing faithfulness to His people!
Jeremiah was able to do this because he had a great perspective of God. Regardless of the situation or the circumstance, Jeremiah knew that God was still God. He knew God would be eternally faithful to His people. Today, as we go through difficult and trying times let us consider Jeremiah’s witness of God’s faithfulness. When bad times or hard times, come to us, let us realize that God has made the heaven and the earth by His great power and there is nothing to hard for God.
Like Jeremiah, we must face our mountains of success and valleys of failures. Like Jeremiah, we, too, are men and women of constant sorrows, nevertheless there is hope. There is hope because one day on Calvary God showed His faithfulness to the world. There is hope because Apostle John tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The songwriter wrote a very profound song. He wrote, ‘Great is thy Faithfulness, Oh God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with thee… Thou changeth not… Thou compassions, they fail not. As thou have been thou forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see All I have needed thou hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord God unto me.
