vv 22-24 The faithful love of the Lord never ends, His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
Here, dead centre of this lament, comes a lightening flash of hope. How we love to quote this bit. It is so comforting and reassuring! We write hymns and choruses about it, and put it on plaques on our walls as some kind of spiritual talisman. But just look at the context – again, please read the whole chapter. This is how Jeremiah thought ‘He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendour is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!”’ vv16-18
Here was Jeremiah, proclaiming God’s message, and yet rejected by all. Even at times he felt rejected, even deceived by God. (Just read his complaint to God in Jeremiah 20. O Lord, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke. ) BUT still he will trust and say ‘I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!’
Jeremiah, I am amazed at your perseverance in speaking out for God. You at least were under no illusions about painful realities.