Therefore Have I Hope

Tonight, well in the wee morning hours, Lamentations Chapter 3, verses 21 through 24 are on my heart. The verses read, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Each time I hear or read these verses, I feel that I come away with a different perspective. Over the past few days, I have mulled over in my mind the actions of others, and in my flesh, have felt the need to judge (in my mind) those actions. I have even commented to close friends concerning my thoughts. However, I have begun to feel convicted about this. As I read, once again, the verses in Lamentations, it seemed to me that the Holy Spirit was saying, at first, that this passage of scripture was for my personal benefit as if to say, "Everything is going to be just fine. The Lord is compassionate and faithful in regards to your situation." Certainly, I believe that to be true. But, as I contemplated this scripture at a deeper level, I began to feel conviction in regards to negative thoughts and attitudes and in regards to having a judgemental spirit. I realized it was not my job to judge the motives and actions of others. I knew I needed to pray for forgiveness in these areas. It is with a thankful heart that I reflect on the fact that "His compassions fail not". We are so blessed to have a merciful and compassionate God, who loves us, even in our failures. It is my prayer that the Lord will fill me with His grace to show forth a Christ-like attitude in all situations.