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Faithfulness in the Morning
Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:19-26
His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
— Lamentations 3:22-23
Have you ever lost sleep because your mind and heart were busy or burdened? You can lie down and try to fall asleep, but sleep won’t come.
Jeremiah surely knew what that was like. He often poured out his heart and soul to God and to his people, but most of the people ignored what he had to say as God’s prophet. At times he was even put in prison for speaking God’s Word.
Jeremiah lamented over the people who denied God and persecuted him. The book of Lamentations is a brief collection of some of those laments. They are a companion piece to the narrative provided in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had done all he could to bring God’s Word to his people, but it was not enough. Even so, one of the great hymns of faith—“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”—arises from the passage we have read for today.
I have often wondered how a great song about faithfulness could be born out of lament. Yet this is a key insight for us to ponder. When times are good, we tend to forget about God and rely on ourselves. But when times are hard and we cry out to God in our struggles, we can often see God and his work more clearly. God’s love, compassion, and faithfulness stand out against the darkness of sin and destruction.
God is with us always, and he promises new beginnings and new life each day to all who seek him. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a song we can sing every day!
God of all days and nights, thank you for your faithfulness to us each day and throughout every season. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:19-26
His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
— Lamentations 3:22-23
Have you ever lost sleep because your mind and heart were busy or burdened? You can lie down and try to fall asleep, but sleep won’t come.
Jeremiah surely knew what that was like. He often poured out his heart and soul to God and to his people, but most of the people ignored what he had to say as God’s prophet. At times he was even put in prison for speaking God’s Word.
Jeremiah lamented over the people who denied God and persecuted him. The book of Lamentations is a brief collection of some of those laments. They are a companion piece to the narrative provided in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had done all he could to bring God’s Word to his people, but it was not enough. Even so, one of the great hymns of faith—“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”—arises from the passage we have read for today.
I have often wondered how a great song about faithfulness could be born out of lament. Yet this is a key insight for us to ponder. When times are good, we tend to forget about God and rely on ourselves. But when times are hard and we cry out to God in our struggles, we can often see God and his work more clearly. God’s love, compassion, and faithfulness stand out against the darkness of sin and destruction.
God is with us always, and he promises new beginnings and new life each day to all who seek him. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a song we can sing every day!
God of all days and nights, thank you for your faithfulness to us each day and throughout every season. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
