GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS

Passage: Lamentations 3:1-24

Key verse: 22,23

NIV

3 [a]I am the man who has seen affliction(A)
    by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.(B)
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
    in darkness(C) rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me(D)
    again and again, all day long.

4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old(E)
    and has broken my bones.(F)
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness(G) and hardship.(H)
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
    like those long dead.(I)

7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;(J)
    he has weighed me down with chains.(K)
8 Even when I call out or cry for help,(L)
    he shuts out my prayer.(M)
9 He has barred(N) my way with blocks of stone;
    he has made my paths crooked.(O)

10 Like a bear lying in wait,
    like a lion(P) in hiding,(Q)
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled(R) me
    and left me without help.
12 He drew his bow(S)
    and made me the target(T) for his arrows.(U)

13 He pierced(V) my heart
    with arrows from his quiver.(W)
14 I became the laughingstock(X) of all my people;(Y)
    they mock me in song(Z) all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitter herbs
    and given me gall to drink.(AA)

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;(AB)
    he has trampled me in the dust.(AC)
17 I have been deprived of peace;
    I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
    and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”(AD)

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness(AE) and the gall.(AF)
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast(AG) within me.(AH)
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love(AI) we are not consumed,(AJ)
    for his compassions never fail.(AK)
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.(AL)
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;(AM)
    therefore I will wait for him.”

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Footnotes
  1. Lamentations 3:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the verses within each stanza begin with the same letter.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Great Is Your Faithfulness

3 (A)I am the man who has seen affliction
    under the (B)rod of his wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
    (C)into darkness without any light;
3 surely against me he turns his hand
    again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
    (D)he has broken my bones;
5 (E)he has besieged and enveloped me
    with (F)bitterness and tribulation;
6 (G)he has made me dwell in darkness
    like the dead of long ago.

7 (H)He has walled me about so that (I)I cannot escape;
    he has made my chains heavy;
8 though (J)I call and cry for help,
    he shuts out my prayer;
9 (K)he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;
    he has made my paths crooked.

10 (L)He is a bear lying in wait for me,
    a lion in hiding;
11 (M)he turned aside my steps and (N)tore me to pieces;
    (O)he has made me desolate;
12 (P)he bent his bow (Q)and set me
    as a target for his arrow.

13 He drove into my kidneys
    (R)the arrows of his quiver;
14 (S)I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,
    (T)the object of their taunts all day long.
15 (U)He has filled me with bitterness;
    he has sated me with (V)wormwood.

16 (W)He has made my teeth grind on gravel,
    and (X)made me cower in ashes;
17 my soul is bereft of peace;
    I have forgotten what happiness[a] is;
18 (Y)so I say, “My endurance has perished;
    so has my hope from the Lord.”

19 (Z)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    (AA)the wormwood and (AB)the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    (AC)and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and (AD)therefore I have hope:

22 (AE)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[b]
    (AF)his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new (AG)every morning;
    (AH)great is your faithfulness.
24 (AI)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    (AJ)“therefore I will hope in him.”

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Footnotes
  1. Lamentations 3:17 Hebrew good
  2. Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. I am one who has seen affliction (1-18)

Jeremiah saw the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem as the rod of God's anger. He suffered with his people. He describes his utterly hopeless feelings in graphic terms. He is like a man mangled by a lion and left without help. He had no peace and no hope.

2. I remember (19-21)

When he began to remember his affliction and wandering, his soul was downcast. But as he continued to remember, new hope was born in his heart, for he remembered the love of God.

3. The Lord is my portion (22-24)

He was still alive. The people were in exile, but they were not dead. There is hope because of God's great love; God's great faithfulness and compassion never fail. Every morning is a new day. Let us say with Jeremiah, 'The Lord is my portion; I will wait for him.'

Prayer: Lord, help me not to despair when I suffer because of my sins or those of my people. You are my portion; I will wait on you.

One Word: The Lord is my portion