THE LORD IS OUR PORTION

Lamentations 3:22-25

22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.

In the midst of great sorrow and distress, the prophet Jeremiah turns in this passage to what gives him hope-God's mercy, compassions, faithfulness and goodness to those who seek Him and wait for Him. Notice, too, that although Israel has been destroyed and the surviving people have been scattered and taken captive by their enemy, Jeremiah claims to have something greater than all possible earthly prosperity-the LORD Himself.

If we have the LORD, He has us. And if He has us, we can count our blessings no matter our circumstance in this life.

Matthew Henry said something like this when commenting on this passage.

Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should recall what is in our favor, as well as what is against us. God's compassions do not fail, as we can see every morning. What we have on earth is perishing, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Afflictions do and will work very much for good. Recognizing the evil of our own sinfulness will convince us that it is only by the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. Can we not at least say, "I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in His word I hope?"

The Lord is all-sufficient for us. It is not easy to satisfy man's desires, but to have the Lord as ours is to have far beyond what will sustain us and make us happy. Let us "rejoice in the Lord always," (Philippians 4:4) and show the world that we are a happy and a blessed people so that some might say, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." (Zech 8:23)

CTD