Day 311

I did something today that I encourage you to do as well. I counted my blessings. Not all of them, but one very specific one, and then I broke it down and just marveled at the goodness of God. The fact is that His mercies, His Chesed love towards us are never failing. They are new every morning. Meaning God, who is eternal, pours out new blessings upon you every single day. The prophet Jeremiah struggled in ways many of us will never understand. But when his soul was heavy and his afflictions many, this is what he had to say: 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.

I don’t want you to miss the significance of what is going on here. The book’s title is Lamentations. The definition of this word is: the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping” (Google Dictionary). Whatever the author was going through it was enough for him to pen it down in a book he entitled “the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.” And it was the destruction of his people, and the land he called home. They had turned their backs against God. They had broken the covenant, yet still desired the blessings of the covenant. The Israelite nation had mastered the “friends with benefits” scenario with God. And God was not having it anymore. He gave them countless opportunities until it was clear that they no longer desired the presence of God, although claimed His protection and power. But God does not work that way, and as a side note neither should we.

If someone wants to be in a relationship with you for all the benefits associated with being exclusive, yet they do not behave as they are or claim the title of exclusivity, then you should withhold yourself from them. This isn’t saying that if you’re married and you want to punish your spouse that you withhold sex. No, this is saying if you’re in a relationship with someone who wants what you can provide for them, but not you as an individual that you should withhold whatever benefits from them until you are seen as the valued equal partner that you are.

And that is what God wanted from the ones He said: Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.” Isaiah 43:4. But they treated God as yesterday’s trash and not as the God of the universe who called them into being. They wanted the power of God but not His presence, His protection but not His precepts. So God gave them what they wanted and He stepped away from them for a moment. And when He did, the enemy came swooping in with utter destruction.

And this is the time and period in which Jeremiah lived. And he chronologized His grief and sorrow in the book he called Lamentations. But even among the pain and the sorrow, between the gasping airs of weeping, he was able to grasp unto one kernel of hope, and that was the Chesed, steadfast love of God. That even though everything around him seemed to be going straight to hell, that the sun still came up the next morning. That he still had breath in his lungs when others were sent to the grave. He realized that amid the pain and suffering that the LORD was still with him. That: The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:24.

Who knows what pain and sorrow or lament you are going through. I have no idea. All I am sure of is that the One who does know, is still surrounding you with His everlasting and faithful love, and His mercies towards you are new every single morning you fill your lungs with air. Let your soul agree with Jeremiah when he says that the Lord is our portion and our hope will always be in Him.