Dear Sister,
Jeremiah the prophet (not the ever-so-popular bullfrog) had a rough life. The Lord told him to prophesy about His own plans for Israel and the nations while never allowing Jeremiah to see them come to be. Yet in the midst of Jeremiah’s darkest times and darkest laments (the book of Lamentations) he writes “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (vss. 22-23).” Jeremiah held to the truth he knew about the Lord: That His mercy, goodness, love, and His grace are steadfast. Why did that mean so much to him – and as well to us?
Man, do I love the idea of the Lord’s steadfast love, mercy, and kindness. This love never ends and never changes. But as I was thinking of the steadfastness of the Lord a question pricked my mind. How much of the Lord’s character can be described as steadfast? Is it just his love, mercy, and kindness? I don’t believe so. The Bible teaches that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever…that we can trust He is who He is, the Great I AM. What truly hit me about this is not His love, mercy, and kindness, but the steadfastness of His justice. Why? Because if the Lord was not steadfast in giving justice to sin, then we could never understand or appreciate the steadfastness of His love, mercy, and kindness. To know the wrath that sin deserves spurs me to tell my friends and family about Jesus and the hope of the cross. To know the wrath my sin deserves spurs me to seek forgiveness and repentance before a holy God.
Sweet sister, don’t just stop and chew the steadfast love, mercy, and kindness of the Lord for comfort, go deeper. Like Jeremiah, remember the steadfast justice of the Lord and where that leads those that do not trust Jesus as their Savior and hope. Remember the steadfast justice of the Lord and seek His repentance in your own life. Then like Jeremiah, the full realization of the Lord’s steadfast character will not only give you rest and comfort, it will spur you on to do the hard things the Lord calls you to do. Pray I will do the same.
Your sister in Christ,
Colleen