One of my favorite verses is:
Lamentations 3:22-23(KJV)
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
3:20-22 My soul hath them still in remembrance & is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind therefor have I hope.
I am so humbled every morning on God’s faithfulness. Every-morning is new. No matter what happened yesterday I know today is fresh and free from all burdens, stresses, sadness sorrows, etc., as I recall God’s mercies and His lovingkindness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Everyday produces thankfulness that I have another day to serve Him and to share His lovingkindness with others. I am so thankful that no matter what happened yesterday I can start new today. He removes all our transgressions from us as we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us. (1 John 1:9)
Psalm 103:11-12 (AMPC)
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
I am thankful that The Lord’s mercies and compassions are new EVERY-MORNING!
It is because of those mercies we are not consumed. His compassions fail NOT.
Lam. 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
As we recall all His goodness, His mercies, His faithfulness to our mind it produces HOPE. Our mind is truly the battlefield. Each day we have the opportunity to recall all the bad and evil things or we can recall all those things we are thankful for. The bible says in the last days men shall be unthankful. Unthankfulness produces fear, confusion, and every evil works. But as we remain thankful and look to His lovingkindness and mercies we will have that Godly HOPE it produces.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Daily we should both hope & quietly wait for His salvation which comes for what Jesus did at the Cross for Us. We remember and recall all his goodness and what was accomplished there.
We recall, remember, think about, remain aware of, muse, recognize, remind ourselves all He has done and is going to do. We remember that this world is not our home. We remind ourselves we are not what we used to be. We have been changed!
Matthew Henry:
- That, bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We are afflicted by the rod of his wrath, but it is of the lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, Lam. 3:22. When we are in distress we should, for the encouragement of our faith and hope, observe what makes for us as well as what makes against us. Things are bad but they might have been worse, and therefore there is hope that they may be better.
Therefore will I hope in him. I will stay myself upon him, and encourage myself in him, when all other supports and encouragements fail me.”
It is good (it is our duty, and will be our unspeakable comfort and satisfaction) to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord, to hope that it will come, thought the difficulties that lie in the way of it seem insupportable, to wait till it does come, though it be long delayed, and while we wait to be quiet and silent, not quarrelling with God nor making ourselves uneasy, but acquiescing in the divine disposals. Father, thy will be done. If we call this to mind, we may have hope that all will end well at last.
If it wasn’t for the hope, the heart would break. We need to quietly remember and recall to our minds all His goodness. When we are in distress we should be the encouragement of our pwn faith & hope. Just as David encouraged himself in the Lord, so should we.
The streams of His Mercies are daily and daily we need to acknowledge them. We are not consumed by all that happens daily due to these mercies.
Mercies - plural, compassions - plural. God is an inexhaustible fountain of mercy and He is The Father of mercies. His compassions FAIL NOT!
While trouble is prolonged & deliverance is deferred, we must patiently wait for God & His gracious returns to us. We wait for Him by faith & must seek him by prayer and our souls must seek Him.
If we recall this to our minds, we will have hope and know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Remembering that:
James 1:2-4 (AMPC)
2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.
3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
He has a great plan for you. One that will produce hope no matter what you are going through. He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
Jeremiah 29:11(AMPC)
11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Matthew Henry:
He will give them to see the end (the comfortable termination) of their trouble; though it last long, it shall not last always. He that in the beginning finished the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of both, will finish all the blessings of both to his people. When he begins in ways of mercy he will make an end. God does nothing by halves. He will give them to see the expectation, that end which they desire and hope for, and have been long waiting for. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, nor the expectations of their fancies, but the expectations of their faith, the end which he has promised and which will turn for the best to them.
Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Psalm 103 King James Version (KJV)
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.
David knew this very thing, I remember these things and he encouraged himself in the Lord by recalling those areas in his life where God had brought him through hard times. (even if he produces those hard times)
Psalm 42:4-6 (KJV)
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Final word from the above scripture: HOPE THOU IN GOD!!!!!
Not only can we recall what the Lord has done for us but as we read the bible we see how God has brought many through hard times. He is the same today as yesterday. (Hebrews 13:8)
Here is a 2 week reading plan I found that shows some areas to recall.
- Day 1: Genesis 8 – God saves Noah and his family in the flood
- Day 2: Genesis 41:1-36 – God saves Joseph from being in prison
- Day 3: Exodus 12:31-50 – God saves the Israelites from Egyptian bondage
- Day 4: Exodus 14:5-31 – God saves the Israelites from Egyptian slaughter
- Day 5: 1 Samuel 17 – God saves David in his battle with Goliath
- Day 6: Daniel 3 – God saves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace
- Day 7: Daniel 6 – God saves Daniel in the lions’ den
- Day 8: Isaiah 40:12-31 – Praise God for his sovereignty
- Day 9: Isaiah 61 – Praise God for his comfort
- Day 10: Psalm 19 – Praise God for his majesty
- Day 11: Psalm 27 – Praise God for his salvation
- Day 12: Psalm 91 – Praise God for his refuge
- Day 13: Psalm 119:1-88 – Praise God for his Word
- Day 14: Psalm 119:89-176 – Praise God for his Word
Here are a couple of videos that produces hope:
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