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.
In Lamentations 3:1, Jeremiah said,
"I am a man that has seen the affliction by the rod of His wrath."
As Jeremiah looks at the destroyed land:
Jeremiah says feels he has drunk the cup of bitterness.
Jeremiah felt that he had lost touch with God.
Sometimes, we too feel as though:
God has turned His hand against us and
that our prayers are not working
We must remember that:
No matter what the future holds…. God is faithful
The prophet ends this part of the text in darkness and hopelessness.
Suddenly, there is a complete shift in attitude and perspective occurs
"When I recall this to my mind, I have hope."
Lamentations 3:21 (KJV)
The situation looks hopeless:
but when Jeremiah thinks about God's character,
His perspective turns from despair to hope.
What brings comfort and hope to the prophet during desolation?
Lamentations 3:22, he says,
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed."
Jeremiah remembers:
- that though he has suffered
- he deserves much worse
The same is true for us:
- we have all gone astray
- we have all sinned and deserve wrath
- and yet God has already treated us better than we deserve
God's mercy has spared him from complete destruction.
No matter what comes in 2025 remember to hold onto….
1. God's UNFAILING Love Lamentations 3:22
"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed..."
Hesed is the word for love in our text today…
"Hesed" (?????) (Heh-said) is a significant Hebrew word:
- often used in the Old Testament
- to describe God's character and
- His relationship with His people.
“Hesed” is often translated as:
"steadfast love," "lovingkindness," or "mercy."
This is eternal love
It is love that is enduring and faithful.
That Hebrew word for love is also in Psalm 136:1
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
- Psalm 136:1 (NIV)
When speaking about God’s love:
- we must remember sin, Jesus and the cross
- we must think about our sin
- that was paid for by Jesus on the cross
John 3:16 (ESV):
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
In the parable of the Prodigal Son:
the father’s love for his wayward son
illustrates God's unfailing love for US
Despite the son’s mistakes and rebellion:
the father runs to
welcome him home with open arms, saying,
"For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found"
- Luke 15:24 (KJV)
In the same way:
God’s love is always ready to forgive and restore US,
no matter how far we’ve strayed.
His love is constant, unconditional, and never fails.
Verses (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV):
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Chuck Smith says:
“God's compassion is evident throughout the New Testament. How many times do we read that Jesus looked upon the needy and was moved with compassion? He saw the multitudes wandering aimlessly, like sheep without a shepherd, and He was moved with compassion.”
No matter what the future holds…. God is faithful and His…
2. MERCIES are new every MORNING
"...his compassions never fail. They are new every morning..."
- Lamentations 3:23 (NIV)
Occasionally I get the opportunity:
o to take my grandson to school, and
o we have a habit of stopping at Jack’s donuts and
o getting at least 1 donut, maybe more
The donuts are fresh every morning:
- someone had to wake up very early
- and start baking donuts while it is still dark
- so that Chance and I can enjoy a fresh donut
In a similar manner:
- God has prepared compassion and love for us
- is new again every morning,
- that compassion is not leftovers….it is new and fresh
God not only loved you:
- enough to send Jesus to die for you 2,000 years ago, BUT
- God still loves you…. RIGHT NOW,
- right where you are…. God’s love for you is NEW and FRESH
Everyday God presents His love to us in new ways…
Jeremiah hangs onto God’s compassion:
even in the aftermath of the destruction and judgment
He remembers God’s faithfulness and love
The judgment of God:
never comes until
every means of His grace
has been exhausted.
(God) “is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
- 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Chuck Smith says:
“It is like standing before a judge who loves you and seeks every excuse to pardon your guilt. God is merciful and compassionate, looking for any reason to reveal His love. Only when His love is repeatedly rejected does He, in righteousness, bring judgment.”
I imagine there is at least one person here today:
who thinks their sin has exceeded God’s love,
they fear God is done with them, and
that could not be farther than the truth
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- 1 John 1:9 (ESV)
We can start every day with hope:
- putting yesterday behind us
- we know that God still loves us
- still wants the best for us…
A fierce storm once battered the coast of a small town:
Waves crashed against the shore, and
The wind howled through the night.
A lone lighthouse stood on the rocky cliff:
its beam piercing through the darkness,
guiding ships safely to harbor.
After the storm, a traveler visiting the lighthouse asked the keeper,
"Do you ever get tired of standing here, night after night, keeping the light burning?"
The keeper smiled and replied,
"Of course not. You see, there are ships out there that depend on this light. I cannot control the storms, but I can make sure this light never goes out."
Just like the lighthouse keeper:
God’s faithfulness never wavers.
Even when the storms of life rage,
God’s light is our constant, guiding us through every trial.
No matter how dark life may seem,
God’s faithfulness is unwavering and dependable.
No matter what the future holds….
3. GREAT is God’s FAITHFULNESS
"Great is your faithfulness."
- Lamentations 3:23b (NIV)
Jeremiah had been:
- dwelling on his sorrows and the sorrows of his people, but
- then he lifted his eyes to the Lord—and
- this was the turning point.
During sorrow and ruin he remembered the mercy of the Lord.
The faithfulness of God is:
a MASSIVE encouragement
on days when fear enters our hearts.
Our problem is that we can:
- base our lives on the unstable things of this life
- on earthly things that are limited
- when we need to build our lives on God
That reminds me of a children’s song with a deep message for us
"The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock":
Verse 1:
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood firm.
Verse 2:
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand went splat!
Do you remember how the song ends?
Ending:
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the blessings will come down.
The blessings come down as the prayers go up,
So build your life on the Lord.
If you build your life on people or on the things of this world:
you will have no hope or security; but
if you build on Christ, the Faithful One,
You will be safe forever.
We never need fear that He is too busy to listen or too tired to help.
GOD is faithful:
to forgive when we confess our sins
to sympathize when we have burdens and problems
to deliver when we cry out for help in temptation
to keep us in this life and unto life eternal
God is faithful…. Even in judgment
For years, God warned that if the people did not turn from their sin:
the Babylonian army would destroy them.
Jeremiah had proclaimed this message for 40 years, but
The people mocked Jeremiah and God’s call to repent
God kept His word:
He was very patient with Israel
But Israel forced God’s hand
Because they refused to turn from their wickedness
This is a reminder that God will always keep His promises:
This should either strike YOU with terror or
bring YOU great,
depending on one's relationship with Him.
If you have set your heart against God:
- His promises of judgment will come to pass.
But if you are seeking Him:
You can trust in His promises of
forgiveness and eternal life.
Yet, God's promises are certain.
Jeremiah found comfort and hope:
in God's mercy, compassion, and faithfulness.
It is good to trust
in the salvation of the Lord.
We like Jeremiah and the people of Israel:
we may face times of distress and sorrow in our lives.
We may feel burdened by our mistakes or
overwhelmed by the challenges before us.
But let us Remember this:
God's love is steadfast,
His mercies are new every morning, and
great is His faithfulness.
I can think of no better way to start the New Year:
- than with a saving relationship with Jesus
- and to remember that
- God is faithful no matter what comes
If you have not experienced:
the love and mercy of God, or
if you are struggling to feel His presence,
I invite you to come to Him
Jesus Christ, the Son of God:
made it possible for us
to receive forgiveness
through His sacrifice on the cross.
For those who are already in Christ:
Remember that His mercies are new every morning.
Don’t carry your burdens alone.
As we sing the invitation hymn:
If you have a need, come forward.
If you have a decision to make, come forward
Let us all place our trust in God, knowing
that He is always faithful to His promises.
Closing Prayer
thanksgiving and commitment to trust in God's faithfulness in the year ahead.
