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"THE LORD'S FAITHFULNESS IS FILLED WITH MERCY" "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.The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." (Lamentations 3:22-24)Jeremiah had been writing about how difficult and depressing his circumstances were in captivity. But then suddenly, in the middle of this bleak account, his thoughts take a startling turn toward the character of God. The word mercy is found 149 times in the Old Testament. It is a sweeping, all-inclusive term for God’s love, goodness, forgiveness, compassion, and faithfulness. Even in the bleakness of God’s discipline, there was hope. Judah would not be permanently destroyed but ultimately restored.Throughout the history of mankind in Scripture, God’s unmistakable pattern is seen over and over again. Disobedience brought consequences, but confession always brings forgiveness and renewal. When Jeremiah meditated on this, he remembered that God had many mercies available all over again, every single day. Verse 23 ends with that reassuring statement: “great is thy faithfulness.”God’s faithfulness makes me stop and think of the people I know, who, no matter what the circumstances and how they personally are doing, are always doing exactly what they say they will do, without excuse. The more I think about it, the more I realize how few people I know like that. We live in a world filled with broken promises and disappointment, a world filled with people who are unfaithful, including ourselves. So, what shall we do?Jeremiah was struggling with discouragement, but he chose to focus on this particular characteristic of the Heavenly Father's faithfulness. When we become discouraged, we should do what Jeremiah did, stop and remember God’s faithfulness. We need to memorize these verses and get into the habit of quoting them to ourselves when we're discouraged. We need to remember how God has answered our prayers. How He has provided for us, given us courage when we were afraid, loved us when everyone else disappointed us, and been faithful to us when no one else was.Oh, how faithful and merciful my Heavenly Father has been to me while battling painful arthritis, pitiful strength, and poor eyesight. For He has always been there for me and with me showering my soul with His comforting presence!Friends, when storms are overwhelming and beating down hard around us, we need to get alone and reflect on this amazing truth: God is faithful! Yes, our Heavenly Father is faithful and full of mercy when we humbly approach and trust Him.