New Beginnings—It’s Not Clichés.
Lamentations 3:21-26NKJV
Jeremiah was a man whose message of repentance was rejected, and despite his earnest prayer for his people, he was to witness the children of Israel being sold into slavery.. the city of God being destroyed and the Temple of the Lord being raised to the ground. He is rightly called, the weeping prophet for he witnessed the rod of the Lord being used to discipline God's rebellious people and Jeremiah is discovered lamenting the hopelessness of the situation, that he and a tiny godly remnant were experiencing.
Despite all the suffering, pain, hurt and distress that the prophet Jeremiah faced in life's school of affliction, the Lord was teaching him many lessons about the great faithfulness of the Lord and His never-failing mercies, which are new every morning. He learned the importance of trusting the Lord and waiting on His timing.. despite the distressing circumstances he faced and the human insults that had for so long been hurled upon him.
Jeremiah had faithfully proclaimed God' message to the nation, but their rejection resulted in indescribable tragedy. Nevertheless through it all, Jeremiah came to understand that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; and His mercies never come to an end.
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/lamentations-3-26
Did you know that God loves new beginnings. Do you ever feel like you need a new beginning? That exactly how I was feeling not too long ago.
I was tired, and frustrated, a little disoriented spiritually, disgusted with some of the things happening in the world.
Sometimes you need to slowly read the Serenity Prayer about thousand times.
“God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
However, sadly, I did not have the presence of mind to do even that.
At first I ignored all these feeling and tried to keep busy. Finally, I realized I needed a new beginning. P.H
Again, God loves new beginnings!
I want to take Lamentations 3:21-26 and verse upon powerful verses, and look at these:
Lamentations 3:21NKJV This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
Lamentations is known for its sorrow, heartache and pain; However, the prophet Jeremiah decides to recall to his mind—
The mercies of God. The compassion of God, The faithfulness of God and the hopefulness of God.
Verse 21b…Therefore I have hope.
Does God have hope? He invented hope.
Here’s a fact—God hopes with every believer, God grieves with believers, God waits, God loves. God is committed.
Again, Lamentations 3:21a, AMP But this I call to mind, Therefore I have hope.
Believer’s need to be doing some recalling!
Fact—God’s been good, God’s better to us than we are to Him.
Psalm 130:7NKJV O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.
King David is saying to God’s people—Ole Israel, this I recall, this I remember, hope in the Lord; Moreover, wherever there is hope, mercy comes along and does his bidding.
Moreover, “He—the Lord, offers perfect, and abundant redemption, or salvation!”
One of the things I love about our faith is that God is a God of second chances, fresh starts, and new beginnings. —Matthew Kelly
2 Corinthians 5:17NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
He or she is a new creation. God gave you a new beginning, a fresh outlook, a new perspective, fresh vision for the now; therefore, again, you are a new creation!
As believer’s we need a fresh outlook on this glorious salvation given unto us by a King, an eternal King, a King who has no end!
Luke 1:33NLT And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
The writer of Hebrews 10:32NKJV But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
I say this with great confidence, that the next scriptures I’m going to read to you, were very costly scriptures to its recipients.
Listen to the reminder of Hebrews 10:33-35NKJV…partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
This confidence spoken of by the apostle Paul came through the avenues of testings—good, bad and the ugly. This confidence was birthed in the back, in obscurity, this confidence cost millions dearly. This confidence was fully paid for because of the blood of a spotless lamb— Revelation 12:11.
Hebrews 10:35TPT So don’t lose, your bold, courageous faith, for you are destined for a great reward!
The strongholds coming into the church are very strong and they have a hold of many. Battles of the mind. Strongholds of fear, the stronghold of addictions, the stronghold of vanity, The stronghold of pride, The stronghold of gluttony, etc.
“Strongholds represents bars, unbearable bars. A stronghold is like a leach it something that follows you wherever you go.” P.H
Paul gives the believer the remedy for strongholds:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5NKJV For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
“We play right into the devils hands when we war with our flesh.”
“Obtaining the knowledge of God, but not knowledge for the sake of knowledge.’ ‘Knowledge, understand your rights and privileges as a blood-bought-child-of-God become vital.” P.H
Again verse 5b, Submit every thought, place every stronghold into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Q&A: Do your thoughts pass the God test; What’s the God test?
Philippians 4:8NKJV Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
“I call this verse the acid test for all thoughts, If applied this verse alone can breakdown every stronghold!” P.H
Back to the text, Lamentations 3:22-23NLT The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Take this to heart—The Lord’s love is faithful, it never ends. His mercies never cease.
Because of these great verses and many scripture references—Every morning becomes a new beginning for the child of God. Think about that.
Lamentations 3:24NKJV “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
It’s very important—what you say. If you say, “The Lord is my portion, say’s my soul, Again, Therefore, I hope in Him!”
Again, Lamentations 3:24NLT I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
Again, It’s very important that your thought life stays submitted to the Lord. P.H
Lamentations 3:25NKJV The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
You could say,“Individuals that wait for the Lord’s renewing, allowing the soul to seek Him,—God is good to those.”
Listen to this powerful scripture reference—Luke 2:25-26NKJV And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Lamentations 3:26NKJV It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.
Adam Clark Commentary—Hope is essentially necessary to faith; he that hopes not, cannot believe; if there be no expectation, there can be no confidence. When a man hopes for salvation, he should not only waft for it, but use every means that may lead to it; for hope cannot live, if there be no exercise. If hope become impatient, faith will be impossible: for who can believe for his salvation when his mind is agitated? He must therefore quietly wait.
“Learning to wait makes all the difference in this world.” P.H
In the Bible read these epic tales of the incredible ways that God transformed people and their lives—Moses, Noah, Jonah, Jeremiah, David, Joseph, Mary, Peter, James, Matthew, Zacharias, Paul, Lydia, Mary Magdalene, the woman at the well, and so many more whose names we don’t know.
Do you need a New Beginning—It’s Not Clichés, it appointed to you by your heavenly Father.
God is always waiting on us—Sometimes we may think we are waiting for him, but that is never true.
Benediction.
