Even More Faithfulness of God

Lamentations 3:24 says "The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." Ps. 16:5 the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. Ps. 73:26 my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. We have hope because God is all we have. The cry of a burdened soul for true security; the honest confession of a needy soul. True reality.

In Lam. 3:22-24, in the entire chapter 3 as well as the larger context of the whole book, we find real assurances tied to the reasons we have to praise God.

Based on God's covenantal love, we can be sure that faith is a gift from God. 3:21 to have hope in the midst of despair and 3:25 the ability to seek God comes from God. Faith is a disciplined, decision-based exercise. It is for thinking, feeling, real people. God’s gifts are good, faith is one.

Because of God's compassionate mercy, Lam. 3 reminds us also that repentance is the normal way of life for Christians. In 3:39-42 we see confession of sin is essential and it can also include praise. We learn to accept that many times disaster is a justified judgment due to people’s sinfulness. God’s mercy grants repentance, His kindness leads us to confess our sins & turn from them. In light of hardship brought on by sin we have no complaints. God is willing and able to alleviate suffering. He withholds what our sins deserve (wrath) and gives us what our sins do not deserve (mercy). In Christ wrath has been removed & grateful, humble repentance is the way of life.

Lastly, because of God's consistent character, we can always hope in Jesus. Even in our darkest hour. 3:24 The Lord is our portion. All we have is Christ. Sin leads to despair, God gives hope. The most important thing that can be said about God is that He is more than enough. This speaks to anyone who has ever felt alone or abandoned by God. God is with us. He can be trusted. It enables believers to identify with those who are suffering. God’s faithfulness in unlimited. It knows no end, has no end. Great faithfulness, immeasurable, infinite, abundant, lots of it to meet every need. God’s faithfulness is great, abundant, in ample supply. Bad as things might get, it is because of God’s mercy they are not worse. If God dealt with us as our sins deserve, we would have been consumed long ago. Mal. 3:6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. God is merciful to us, let us acknowledge it to His praise.

It is important to read Lam. 3:22-24 in the context of all of chapter 3, as well as the whole book, but it has an even larger context. We ought to read it in light of one of the Bible’s big themes: exile and homecoming. While they were exiled, there was a promised homecoming as well, by a remnant that would survive. We are exiles due to sin. We were meant to live coram deo, before the face of God, in His presence where there is fullness of joy. But we rebelled against Him and the city was destroyed, paradise lost, in bondage to decay. And mankind has been wandering as spiritual exiles ever since. And only when they turn and admit their wandering, repenting before a holy God, can exiles be restored to their true home. We cannot grasp our true home yet because it is heavenly. In a way we are all like Israel, exiles, longing for our true home. Where we live, the houses and households we inhabit are like hotels along the way, they aren’t our true abode. Make them as fancy as you can, they are a waiting room at the end of the day. Tim Keller said Jesus came to bring the human race home. He came and experienced, in weakness, the exile we deserved. He was expelled from the presence of the Father, thrust out into darkness, the uttermost despair of spiritual alienation – in our place. He took upon Himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home.

Jesus not only died but rose form the dead. Heb. 2:14 says He broke the power of death, Acts 2:24 says, God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. Jesus Christ is God's last word on everything. Heb. 1:1-3. Judgment cannot be God's last word, He has judged sin with finality at the cross, & His compassion is victorious, mercy triumphs over judgment. As Ps. 30:5 says, His anger is but for a moment, His favor for a lifetime; weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Jeremiah's weeping over Jerusalem forshadowed Christ weeping over the same city, Matt. 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44. God was the judge and executioner, but it brought Him grief to bring the destruction of Jerusalem. He brought Christ to grief at the cross so that we might have joy. Christ's sacrifice brought great joy. So that the word might be fulfilled, that one day God will wipe away all tears Rev. 7:17, 21:4, one day sin shall be no more. Sin brings misery but God in His faithfulness is loving, compassionate and merciful.

Tomorrow we'll wrap it up with some closing thoughts on God's abundant faithfulness.