Lamentations 3:21-24 –

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.”

The book of Lamentations is a bummer, but it’s a bummer on purpose. It was largely written as a shared cleansing release over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. (Probably) written by the prophet Jeremiah, Lamentations, like all great poetry, seeks to put the high emotions into words.

Think of a song that means more to you than any other song. The lyrics transport you back to a specific time, a specific place, and a set of specific emotions. It can take your experience and put it into words you didn’t have at the time. Lamentations sought to be those words for the people who experienced the loss of Jerusalem. It was often read in a group setting like many of the memorials we have today to commemorate losses that are shared.

In the midst of the pain and searing loss, Jeremiah takes a moment to remind the people of a hope that is bigger than any loss. The pain may be great, but the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. It may feel as though someone has stolen a piece of your soul, but his mercies never come to an end. We can have hope as long as we hold these things in our hearts and minds.

It’s easy to get lost in our own minds and experiences. In those times of trouble, we can get lost thinking, “the way I feel now, is how I will always feel from now on.” And this is why we need the reminder that God’s mercies are new every morning. They never run out. The Lord is our portion and therefore we can put our hope in him.

What do you do when you need your hope renewed? Where do you turn? He wants to be there for you in your times of trouble.