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. (Lamentations chapter 3, versus 22-23)
If there was one word I would use to describe this year so far, it would be faithfulness.
While the world is in the middle of a global pandemic, with countries in lockdown, the death toll climbing, and the economy crashing, it may seem odd that this is what speaks to me the most. But God has proven himself faithful over and over again this year, in the most surprising of ways.
Great is your faithfulness.
I’m a planner and organiser by nature, and I like to know exactly what I’m doing today, tomorrow, in a week, in a year, and even in five years’ time. 2020 however has not been such a good year for people like me, as all plans have gone out the window, with no guarantee of what the future might look like.
I smile to myself now though when I think that not only have my plans for this year been pulled apart, but some of my longer-term plans over the next few years as well. God has not just pulled one rug out from under my feet this year, but many and all at once.
Great is your faithfulness.
At first I panicked. I was confused, and I wasn’t quite sure how to process what was going on.
But isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing? As God has continued to reveal more to me about myself and my heart, both the good and the bad, and as we’ve journeyed in this crazy year, it’s struck me that maybe God knows what he’s doing after all and this was his plan for me all along.
Great is your faithfulness.
God knows the bigger picture more than we ever could comprehend, and I think that sometimes he has to come alongside us and nudge us towards some hard and difficult things in life to teach us lessons that we need to learn. Sometimes this leads us to unexpected paths, unanswered prayers, and initial disappointment.
But God knows what he’s doing. He looks down on us and smiles about the new paths that we’re on and the necessary things that we’re learning along the way, even when life feels like a mess.
In the mystery when we don’t know what’s happening, God knows exactly where we’re going and the unexpected blessings that are just around the next corner.
Great is your faithfulness.
Even when things seem chaotic around us, there is always 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.”
It’s incredible that this scripture is part of a book lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem thousands of years ago. In a terrible period of uncertainty and lament (sound familiar?), the writer chooses to remember and trust in God’s love.
God is faithful, he’ll come through in the end as he always does, and will work things together for good. God is a good God, and a good father.
While we are all feeling a little battered and bruised by 2020 so far, perhaps God is using the chaos to teach us some much needed lessons, to remind us of things we’ve forgotten or bring to the surface new and surprising revelations.
Perhaps God is nudging each us toward a new path, leading to a different outcome than what you initially thought, but one that is beautiful and meaningful all the same.
Great is your faithfulness, oh Lord, over and over again.
Rebecca Howan is from Wellington, New Zealand, where she works as an Executive Assistant in the humanitarian sector. She worships and serves at The Salvation Army, and is passionate about music, travelling the world and building community.
You can read Rebecca’s previous columns at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/rebecca-howan.html