July 14
‘if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.’ 2 Timothy 2:13
Bible reading: Lamentations 3:21-27 (Go to the Bible passage)
If anyone had reason to lament, it surely was Jeremiah. For years, he had warned the people of Israel and had called upon them to repent, but they had not listened. Now God had fulfilled His word. Countless people had been killed, the major part of the survivors was driven into exile, and Jerusalem was destroyed.
But despite the disobedience of the people of Israel and their refusal to listen, Jeremiah could still testify to the eternal faithfulness of God for His people: ‘When the sun and the moon cease to shine by day and by night, only then Israel will no longer be God’s people! The days are coming that the city will never again be uprooted or demolished’ (Jeremiah 31:35-40). Surrounded by the desolate ruins of the city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah wept because of the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel, but still he testified to the faithfulness of God to His covenant.
No, Jeremiah did not isolate himself from the unfaithful people. He remained compassionate and therefore he wept, even though Gods judgment on the Israelites had been righteous. Jeremiah was not the kind of sectarian who gloats over the downfall of other believers in order to justify himself. May God keep us too from such a sectarian spirit. Even though our ways might be troublesome and tearful, and even though we might sing lamentations because of the apostasy of all those who claim to be Christians, but refuse to live by it; nevertheless - in the middle of our lamentations - our praise of our God will not lack: that is, our glorifying of the eternal faithful God.
‘Yet, this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new, every morning; great is Your faithfulness!’

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