His Unfailing Compassion

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The thought of my suffering and homelessness    is bitter beyond words, I will never forget this awful time,     as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope     when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!     His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness;     his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;     therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,     to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly     for salvation from the Lord.

 And it is good for people to submit at an early age     to the yoke of his discipline:

For no one is abandoned     by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion     because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people     or causing them sorrow. 

Lamentations 3: 19-27,31-33; New Living Translation

I heard this version of this passage read aloud recently. It’s powerfully connects with our experience of the sour side of life – like the loss of a child. I want to let the Word speak for itself, though I’ll make just a few comments. Then I ask you to meditate on what God says to you through this prophet.

  • You will never forget your awful time either. But will you dare to hope?
  • In the 3rd paragraph, what are the verbs? Depend, search, wait. They are what you should be doing. They are directed to the Lord. Are you depending, searching and waiting for Him?
  • Last paragraph: he does bring grief. Grief happens. But He brings it. It’s not random or out of control. The God who loves you and hears you, also was there when the plans were made. There are many aspects of this that I don’t understand or “like,” so to speak, yet I’m comforted that He was there and He is in control, because I am totally confident that He loves me. His love is “unfailing.” He doesn’t “enjoy” this process.
  • He has NOT abandoned you or me. Again, He is present in the scene when your child was diagnosed, when the accident happened, when the child breathed their last, with you this week, this very hour. Always, He is with you. You are not facing any of this alone.
  • His compassion is enough to stand the whole loss-grief experience.  

Please take some time this week to meditate on this passage. May His Spirit comfort you.