The prophet Jeremiah is the author of the book of Lamentations in the Old Testament. This book, records the horrendous devastation of the Kingdom of Judah, when Babylonian warriors conquered Judah. Judah’s people were killed or taken off to Babylon as slaves. Hard times had come from the heavy blow of vicious Babylonian warriors. That is why Lamentations is called the book of weeping.
The book of weeping is a collection of five poems. In the first two poems, Jeremiah talks about remembering all the things the people had in the days of old. He says they have lost all their valuables. He is sure there is no sorrow like their sorrow. He is in shock that things have gone so badly for God’s people. But, in the third poem, he tells us why he can go on when things are bleak. He says, “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. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. (3:21-25)
In the grip of depression, Jeremiah says he knows that God has a bottomless reservoir of compassion that will be there, fresh and new, waiting to hug us when we wake up each morning. Jeremiah’s faith overrides his depression as he tells us that God’s character does not change when we are depressed and weeping. When Jeremiah was depressed and weeping, he talked to God about the situation. Then, he talked to himself, and told himself to remember that God’s compassion never fails. From his own experiences, he declares that God cares about us.
Also, from our own experiences, America will declare that God cares about us as we celebrate Thanksgiving on November 27th. When the Pilgrim colonists started the tradition of Thanksgiving, life was hard for them. Yet, like Jeremiah, they thanked God for His character and His faithfulness, and His care for them.
No matter where we are in our journey of life, Jeremiah and our Pilgrim forefathers remind us that God is faithful. They remind us that God’s character never changes. God’s compassion never fails.