Lamentations 3:22–23

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
— Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)

Reflection

Grief has a way of convincing us that we've reached the end - that nothing remains but ashes and absence. The writer of Lamentations understood this profoundly. His city lay in ruins, his people exiled, his heart crushed. Yet in the midst of devastation, he wrote of mercies that do not fail, compassion that renews with the dawn.

This is not denial. It is a declaration. He does not claim that suffering is gone, but that suffering does not cancel God's steadfast love. The broken walls of Jerusalem did not erase God's faithfulness, and the ruins of your own life cannot either.

What feels like the end is not the end. Each morning carries a quiet testimony: mercy remains.

Biblical Insight

Lamentations sits in Scripture as the raw poetry of grief. Yet it is here, at the book's darkest depth, that one of the brightest affirmations of God's character appears. The Hebrew word for "compassion" stems from a root connected to a mother's womb, and conveys abiding, tender care. God's love is not a passing mood but a covenant reality, new every morning, as consistent as the sunrise.

In Application

The passage is not promising you instant relief; rather, it promises fresh mercy every dawn. Yesterday's pain may still linger, but it is met today by God's compassion. That means He will never abandon you to despair.

If you ask yourself the reasonable question: "But what's the point of His mercy when I am in agony like this?" (just like I did), the answer is that it is like a comforting hand on your shoulder. The hand doesn't heal, but it strengthens. And this is no ordinary hand I'm mentioning here. This is God's hand!

Practical Journaling

Contemplate the words of Lamentations 3:22–23, then write your reflections:

• Where do you most need to see God's mercy renewed in your life today?
• How might you remind yourself, even in pain, that His compassions do not fail?
• Can you name a moment when you felt carried by His faithfulness despite bleak circumstances?

Write with honesty. Even in lament, may you discover His mercy waiting steadfastly, patiently, for you even in your deep grief. Amen.

Take as much time as you need with this exercise, and if writing feels too difficult today, simply holding these questions in prayer is enough.