Faithfulness - Devotional by Karen Woodard

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

In 2017, there were two divorces in our family. We had been aware of the difficulties these two couples faced, but never dreamed both marriages would fail within the same year. The rest of our family tried to help these two couples, but it put a tremendous emotional strain on all of us as we dealt with the hurt, frustration, and anger that marriage break-ups often bring.

I have to confess that I will always look back on 2017 as the year our family became a broken one. But I also have to believe that because of our great God’s awesome faithfulness, our family is, and will continue to be, blessed by God — even in its brokenness.

When Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, he was surrounded by grief (3:32,51) due to circumstances that the Lord had allowed to enter his life. He cried out to God in his affliction and bitterness of soul, but chose to daily place his hope in God’s great love and compassion.

Like Jeremiah, I am choosing to “wait quietly” (Lamentations 3:26) for God to bring a season of healing to our family. I will never understand why he allowed us to have such a devastating year that still continues to spark grief in my heart, but I keep claiming those mercies that are “new every morning”, because I really need them!

How about you? Will you also wait quietly for him to work in your circumstances?

Faithful God, when I am discouraged, help me to lift up my eyes to look beyond my present grief to the gift of hope that you give all of us, on a daily basis, and to choose to trust your loving and faithful nature rather than despair. Amen.

By Karen Woodard
Used by Permission