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!
