By Reverend Donn Brammer:
“…But this I will call to mind; and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness…” (Lamentations 3:21-23)
You may remember an old hym titled, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” which lifts up the faithfulness of God and is based on that passage.
Certainly we are living in a time when we need to be reminded of the truth of God’s presence and faithfulness. Between the Covid pandemic, the civil unrest, and the upcoming Presidential election it is easy to say we are living in uncertain times.
The passage above was written at a time when all hope seems to have been lost. The book of Lamentations records a very dark time in the history of Israel. The Temple had been destroyed and the people driven into exile. And yet these verses are filled with hope.
We are people of hope, not because of the optimism we carry within us but because we believe in God. We are Easter people not just at Easter but every day. We are at our best when things are at their worst because God’s light shines in darkness and darkness does not overcome it.
At a time when many people are fearful, when our nation is deeply divided, when hate speech seems to be the norm, now more than ever we need to profess what we believe: that God is present, and God is faithful.
We are Easter people. Yes, there are Good Friday moments, when the world is dark and hope seems lost. Yes, there is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, when our hearts are full of grief, our souls are drained of hope, and a tomb appears to be the final word.
But then comes Easter. And the power of God’s love and grace is revealed, and our hearts and souls are more than revived or refreshed, we are made new, because the promises of God are alive in Jesus Christ.
Morning by morning new mercies I see, great is God’s faithfulness indeed. These are the words we need to share. We are Easter people, and our hope is not based on our circumstances, it is not based on the current situation, because a new day is dawning, and God’s grace is revealed. ‘Joy comes in the morning’ and in this we rejoice.
Thank you for sharing hope in a time of despair, love in a time of hate, and this eternal truth: God is present. God is faithful. And we are God’s witnesses. Because we are Easter people. God Bless, Donn
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