I have hope

And I said, “My strength and my hope haveperished from the LORD.” Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood andthe gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me this I recall to my mind,therefore I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, becauseHis compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Yourfaithfulness. – Jeremiah 3v18-23

After his prophecies recorded in the book of Jeremiah he turned to abook to record his lamentations for the nation. He had seen the once greatnation reduced to rubble.

Of course he was discouraged, who wouldn’t be? We can sense the despairin his words. ‘My strength and hope are gone…I remember all of this and my soulsinks within me.’

If we are honest I think everyone can identify with these feelings. Ourproblem comes when we dwell there and let those thoughts control our minds.

Jeremiah didn’t do that. Look at his thoughts as his soul was sinking.

‘Here is what I am going to dwell on, and therefore I will have hope.It is because of the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassionsdo not fail. Great is God’s faithfulness.’

It is Jeremiah’s choice to call the thoughts to mind that sticks withme this morning. He could have chosen to give up. He could have chosen to dwellon the evil.

But he didn’t. God is merciful. His mercies keep us from total destruction.That was Jeremiah’s hope and that is our hope.

These are the things to keep in mind as we face the future. Look up.Set our affections on things above and not on the things below. Look to theunseen, eternal things instead of the seen and temporal things.

It is by the mercy of God that we are not consumed. That is our hope.