Looking for hope? The book of Lamentations in the Bible is not particularly uplifting. When I am looking for comfort and hope, it is not the first place I turn. It is a book of woes. In it Jeremiah, the prophet, warned of the judgment to come on God’s people because they had turned to idolatry.
But in the middle of listing the bleakness to come, he says, “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT).
Even in this story of judgment, God is merciful. He offers fresh mercy with each new day. His discipline is corrective. He would bring judgment because His people had wandered from His commands. Yet, God offered hope. He had a plan for their future. God would not abandon His people.
At this point in Israel’s history there was no avoiding it. Judgment was coming. They would go into exile. But God would restore them. He would teach them. He would be with them through their time in captivity.
Just as He is with us. His mercies are new every morning– and plentiful if we choose to see them. Every good gift . . . God’s mercy shows up in the sunrise. It is in the air we breathe. We see His mercies in the provision of breakfast, fresh coffee, and conversation with the people we love. God gives us the Bible, which gives fresh insights every time we read it with an open heart and an alert mind. Through prayer and Bible study He gives guidance specific to the day. He tells us not to worry about tomorrow but to take care of today, because each day has enough trouble of its own. In His mercy and love He carries us through whatever that day brings. He gives strength for today and hope for tomorrow. He is our strength and our hope.
No matter our circumstances, our hope is always in God, in His character, His faithfulness, and His love for His people. He carries us through life, one day at a time.
Even in our most hopeless situations, we are never without hope. Only those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior are without hope, unless they turn to Him. He is our hope. We may experience hard times. Most likely we will at some point. But even in the worst of times we are not without hope when we look to Him in faith. He will see us through the most difficult times. And when this life ends, we have a sure hope for all eternity. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and rose again, we have a bright future.
Reading the Bible each day is a good way to arm ourselves with God’s perspective before we try to navigate through a culture that has lost its way. More importantly, the Bible straightens out our own misguided thoughts–even in Lamentations.
Yes, I still dare to hope. There is fresh mercy for each day–new every morning. We have peace, security, and joy, all because we know we can count on God’s faithfulness.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled, or lose their beauty, are kept in heaven for you. 1Peter 1:3-4 NCV
When you are looking for hope, where do you turn? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Copyright 2025 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
Thank you for the post, Phyllis. I’m thankful for God’s mercy and the hope God gives.
Fresh mercy, every day. Thank you, Joni.