“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:23
This verse in Lamentations is a truly beautiful reminder. However, as I was preparing what I would say and how exactly I would articulate it, I found myself gravitating to a verse that precedes the words that precede the words emphasized at the top of the post. “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:” Lamentations 3:21. I love how these two verses connect and I especially love the idea of daring to hope.
I remember a conversation I had about a week or so ago where a family member was affirming me and proud of me for not getting discouraged as I’ve been traversing through a rather difficult season of life. My response to them was that I was (and still am in many ways) discouraged, but I won’t quit. As I thought back on this small conversation, I thought about these verses in Lamentations and how they described the same sentiment that I did in my response to my family member. Yes, I am discouraged, but I won’t quit, I will still continue to dare to hope.
The more that I have thought about this idea of daring to hope, the more I began to wonder why I continue to dare to hope even when life isn’t going the way that I expected. And, as I pondered this question, I realized that the answer is found in Lamentations 3:23. Why do I continue to dare to hope? Because God’s faithfulness and mercies are new each and every day! My hope can remain because God is consistent even when life is anything but consistent. My resolve is replenished by an unchanging Source. This, of course, doesn’t imply that I have a phenomenal attitude each morning, but it motivates me to not quit and always dare to hope.
If you find yourself metaphorically walking through difficulty and losing hope, may I be a voice who continuously reiterates that you are not alone and that our Source of hope is unchanging. As a result, we can keep going even when we feel discouraged. Because of who God is and what Christ has done, we can dare to hope.