Hope that Never Disappoints
Good Morning,
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” Lam. 3:21-24
Have you ever had a loved one, a child, sibling, or close friend who was going down a path that you know was going to hurt them? You know how much it can hurt to watch. It breaks your heart. Yet you also know that somehow in the middle of it, God is still there. Still waiting to redeem and restore.
Jeremiah wrote two books in the Old Testament. Jeremiah, which predicts the fall of Jerusalem and Lamentations, which describes it.
The nation of Israel had been in total rebellion against God. Selfishness and the related sin it brings about was destroying their nation. In the middle of that God calls Jeremiah to preach and prophesy and call them to repentance. Things didn’t go like Jeremiah hoped. Nobody listened. In fact, he had it very difficult because of persecution and hardship at the hands of the people who did not like what he had to say. He served God for 40 years and had no results.
In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by Babylon. So what we read in the book of Lamentations is Jeremiah’s lament. His heart is broken, he grieves deeply, and out that he reflects.
Have you been there? Perhaps you are in that place this morning. The words above provide profound strength for days like this. The lesson from Jeremiah is timeless and at its core is this: Our hope is not in results or outcomes or circumstances. Our hope is placed in something much deeper.
- The love of God. A love not based on our performance. A love that cannot be diminished. A love flowing out of God’s very character.
- The compassion of God. An endless abundance of benevolence, mercy, empathy, kindness, and tenderness. A fresh supply for each new day.
- The faithfulness of God. Never a promise broken, never an appointment missed, never a word not kept. He is faithful even when we are not.
- The portion of God. He is always fully enough. Never late or lacking. Never at a loss or quandary. Always completely sufficient for the needs each day holds.
No matter what life is throwing at you this morning, place your hope in the love, compassion faithfulness and portion of God. You will never be disappointed.
Live on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein
