EXPLORING THE WORD

"His mercies are new every morning"

Adam Davis

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

The prophet Jeremiah is believed to be the author of Lamentations (2 Chronicles 35:25). Jeremiah wrote Lamentations at a time of grief and sorrow, after Jerusalem fell to Babylon circa 586 B.C. This book describes great anguish and great hope in poetic form.

The first two chapters lament over the fall of Jerusalem in excruciating and personal detail. The tone changes from despair to hope in chapter 3, verse 21 "But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope." From this and the ensuing verses in chapter 3, we should understand that every day God shows us His mercy and compassion. Even the dawning of a new day demonstrates God's grace. We need look no further than the very breath we have, the sun that shines upon us, or the rain that falls to nourish the soil. Moreover, the mercies of God are always "fresh" in the sense that they continue to come to us via infinite manifestations.

In Jesus Christ, man can have the fullest mercy possible from God — forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

It is important to note that only those who have genuine faith in Jesus Christ have their sins forgiven:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

When we are born again in Christ, we are a new creation:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

And we are justified before God:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit grieves us when we sin, which drives us to the Lord in repentance in the working out our sanctification:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

When we are reconciled to God, He no longer sees our sin:

He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

...As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.Psalm 103:12

"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

"For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

These Scriptures tie in very nicely to the Lamentation 3:22-23 and provide very good clarification on God's mercy and infinite love.

Image Credit: alohamalakhov; untitled; Creative Commons

Tags: Biblical-Salvation | Biblical-Truth | Christian-Life | God-Father

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Published 5-23-16