*I Remember*

 

But this I call to mind, and   therefore I have hope: The   steadfast   love   of   the   LORD   never  ceases;   his   mercies   never   come   to   an   end;   they are   new   every   morning;   great   is   your  faithfulness.   (Lamentations   3:21-23)

Father,

Apart   from   you   I   would   have no   hope.   My   life   would   be   bleak,   my   future   hopeless,   and   every  day   drudgery.   Gloom   and   despair   would   encompass   me.   This   world   is too   sinful,   too   broken,  too   unsatisfying   to   give   me   any   true,   lasting   hope.   But   in   the   midst   of   all   the   wreckage   and  carnage   of   this world,   I   can   have   real,   solid, lasting   hope.   In   the   midst   of death   and  destruction,  I   can   have   true   joy.

I   am   filled   with   hope   by   calling   to   mind   your   character   and   your   promises. Lord,   you   are   full  of   steadfast   love   toward   me.   So often   I   feel   jerked   about   by   the   circumstances   of   life.   Some  days   I’m   riding   high   with   joy,   others   days   I’m   laid   low   with   sorrow.   In   the   midst   of   it   all,   your  steadfast love   toward   me   never   ceases.   The   quality   and   quantity   of   your   love   toward   me  never   changes.   The   intensity   of   your   love   never   wavers.   You   still   love   me   with   same   intensity  today   as   you   did   on   the   day   you   saved   me.   Help   me   to   call   these   truths   to   mind   on   a   daily  basis.   Your   steadfast   love   is   my   anchor   in   stormy seas.   Your   faithfulness   is   my solid   rock  amidst   the   storm.

I   will   never   come   to   the   end   of   your   mercies.   You   are   an   ever-‐flowing   spring   of   mercy,   ready  to   refresh   me   at   a   moment’s   notice.   When   I   awake   in   the   morning,   you   have   new   mercies  specially   prepared   for the   coming   day.   These   mercies   are   especially   tailored for   that   day’s  trials   and   triumphs.   When   these   mercies   are   used   up,   new   ones   await   me.

Great   is   your   faithfulness,   O   Lord.   You   are   not   sort   of   faithful.   You   are   not   mostly   faithful.   You  are   infinitely,   always   faithful   to   me.   I   cannot   escape   your   faithfulness,  nor   would I   ever do want  to.   Your   faithfulness   goes   ahead   of   me,   guarding   my   steps.   Your   faithfulness   goes   behind,  catching   my   foot   when   it   slips.   I   am   always   hemmed   in   by   your   wonderful   faithfulness.