Great Is Your Faithfulness
"New every morning"
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Read
What does it say?
This is a plain-language guide, not a translation. Check it against the Bible text any time.
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The whole passage, in shortThe main points of the whole passage, in a few sentences.
After Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, a poet wrote of his bitter sorrow. Then, right in the middle of his grief, he remembered: "Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!" He said, "The LORD is my portion," and that it is good to wait quietly for God's salvation, because the Lord will not cast us off forever.
Where it is in the Bible: Lamentations 3:19-33
All the sections at a glanceA map of the passage, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Remember My Affliction | 3:19-20 | The poet is crushed with sorrow |
| 2. New Every Morning | 3:21-24 | Yet God's mercies never fail |
| 3. Wait Quietly | 3:25-30 | It is good to wait for the Lord |
| 4. Not Forever | 3:31-33 | God will not cast us off forever |
Before You Read
Who wrote it. The book doesn't say. Jewish and Christian tradition has long said it was the prophet Jeremiah.
What was happening. In 587 BC, the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem. The temple was burned. People starved. Many were killed or taken away as prisoners. Lamentations is a book of five poems of grief over the ruined city.
What this passage is. The very middle of the book. After pages of sorrow, the poet suddenly remembers something, and hope breaks through.
How to read it. Read it slowly. Notice that the hope comes right in the middle of the pain, not after it.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 4Remember My Affliction
"Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall" (3:19).
Wormwood and gall are bitter plants. The poet's life tastes bitter.
"Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me" (3:20).
He can't stop thinking about all he has lost.
Section 2 of 4New Every Morning
Then something changes.
"Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope" (3:21).
"Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail" (3:22).
"They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!" (3:23).
Every morning God's mercy is fresh, like a new day.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him" (3:24).
A portion was a share of land or food. Everything else is gone, but the poet still has God.
Section 3 of 4Wait Quietly
"The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (3:25).
"It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (3:26).
Sometimes hard times are a time to sit quietly before God, humble and patient.
Section 4 of 4Not Forever
"For the Lord will not cast us off forever" (3:31).
"Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion" (3:32).
"For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men" (3:33).
God doesn't enjoy our pain. His heart is compassion.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "The wormwood and the gall" (3:19) | Bitter suffering. |
| "Yet I call this to mind" (3:21) | Choosing to remember who God is. |
| "His mercies never fail" (3:22) | God's kindness never runs out. |
| "They are new every morning" (3:23) | God's mercy is fresh every day. |
| "The LORD is my portion" (3:24) | When I've lost everything, I still have God. |
| "Wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (3:26) | Trust God even when you can't see the answer yet. |
| "The Lord will not cast us off forever" (3:31) | Suffering is not the end of the story. |
Back Then
Lamentations is written as acrostics. In Hebrew, the verses follow the alphabet, A to Z. It's like ordering grief so it can be spoken.
Some Jewish communities read Lamentations every year on Tisha B'Av, the day they remember the destruction of the temple.
The hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" (1923) comes from verses 22 and 23.
Literal Reader Alert
Is it okay to complain to God? Yes. Most of Lamentations is honest sorrow and complaint. God put it in the Bible.
Does God cause suffering? The poet believes God allowed this disaster because of the people's sin. But he also says God does not afflict willingly. God's deepest heart is compassion.
Does "offer his cheek" mean I have to accept abuse? No. The poet is describing humble patience in a terrible time, not telling anyone to stay in danger.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The poet | Bitter | He remembers his affliction (3:19) |
| The poet | Crushed | His soul is humbled within him (3:20) |
| The poet | Hopeful | God's mercies never fail (3:21-22) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you today? Tap one.
Everything tastes bitter
The poet felt that too. And he found hope.
I've lost so much
The LORD is your portion. You still have him.
I'm waiting
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord.
I'm afraid this will never end
The Lord will not cast you off forever.
You Might Have Heard
"If you have hope, you shouldn't feel sad."
What's true: Hope is a gift from God.
What the passage is mainly about: The poet's hope comes in the middle of terrible grief, not instead of it. "Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope" (3:21). Sorrow and hope can live side by side.
Where Jesus is: He suffered, was cast off on the cross, and rose, so that God's mercy would be new for us every morning.
Good News
Even on the worst day, God's mercy hasn't run out.
"Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!" (3:22-23).
Tomorrow morning, there will be fresh mercy waiting for you.
In the middle of grief, the poet remembered God's faithful love. His mercies never fail. They are new every morning, and he will not cast us off forever.
Big Idea
In the ruins of Jerusalem, the poet remembered God's faithful love. His mercies never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness!
If this passage brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther said that God sometimes hides himself in suffering, so that it seems he is against us. But faith holds on to his promise of mercy, even when it can't see it.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year B, Lamentations 3:22-33 can be read in late June (Lectionary 13), alongside Jesus raising Jairus's daughter. Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24 is read on Holy Saturday.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
How did that feel?
You finished Great Is Your Faithfulness.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Lectionary 13 Year BFirst reading, Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24 or Lamentations 3:22-33
- Lectionary 27 Year CPsalm, Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Great Is Your Faithfulness, explained in plain words. In the ruins of Jerusalem, a grieving poet remembers God's love, and hope breaks through. About 8 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/great-is-your-faithfulness/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church