Lamentations 3:22 // Summer of Scripture

Welcome to Summer of Scripture on the Naked marriage podcast. For 66 days in a row, we are releasing a daily devotional episode for your marriage. And over these 66 days, we're going to pull out one scripture from each of the 66 books of the Bible and talk about how it applies to your marriage. So if you listen to every single one of these episodes, you're going to have a comprehensive understanding of God's plan for your marriage. We encourage you to listen to everyone. Let's dive into today's scripture. Hey, friends. Welcome to day 25. We're in the book of Lamentations during the time of the weeping prophet Jeremiah. We were in the book of his name yesterday and had a great conversation, one of my favorite ones so far, about the human heart.

Yes.

And today, the lamentations. Even though there's a lot of lamenting, you know, things that are wrong in this book, this verse is actually one that's a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness. I love this verse. Lamentations, chapter 3, verse 22. The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. And so this is being said in a time and in a place in the culture where so much was broken, so much was wrong, so many people were making terrible choices. But this reminder. Listen, guys, no matter what's going on, no matter how far you've fallen, no matter how bad your choices have been, no matter how broken the culture is, no matter how bad the news is on television, the faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. And when we can remember that, we can just hold fast to that promise. It really helps us endure whatever we're going through, man.

It does. And I am glad. You know, I know they call Jeremiah the weeping prophet, but it just shows you, too, that it's not all bad. He's not all, like, this is bad, and this is bad, and this is bad. I mean, there is a lot of lamenting, and obviously it's called lamentations for a reason, But I do love that he comes back to this simple truth of, like, no matter how bad it is, God is still here, and God still loves us. He has a plan for us. If you would only turn to Him. It's like, basically what he's saying, like, they're new every day. His mercy is new every day, and his mercy is for you every day. And I don't think we realize as human beings, like, we say this, but that's just amazing that that's actually true. You know what I'M saying I think we shouldn't lose sight of that. I think that we say this. We may tell even little kids about this. I know this verse is one we share with children in, like, kids church, but, man, that is huge. That the creator of the universe, our heavenly Father, the one who created us, wants to offer us mercy not just once, not just twice, but every single day. And that mercy went so far as him sending his one and only Son to die for the very worst things we could do all throughout history as human beings. And it's just. It's just amazing that he loves us that much that he wants to offer us that mercy so that we can live in freedom and that we can have the good things that he has planned for us. But I just think that we just. We don't really let that sink in as Christians so many times. And I guess it's just that we're human beings and it's hard for us to fathom that kind of love. And maybe we won't fully understand it until we get to heaven. I don't think we will because we're just so. We're so kind of earthly, you know, like, we're just so bogged down by maybe by maybe just all the different things going on in our own little world here on earth. But we need to remember, like, man, he loves us that much. And he loves the random person that you don't love so much. He loves that person that much and wants to give that person mercy. And here's the deal too, is your spouse. You may be going through a rough season where you're like, I know I love my spouse, I'm committed to my spouse, but I don't like this person very much right now. And you don't wanna offer them mercy, you don't want to offer them grace at all. But the crazy thing about it is God does. Like, God loves your spouse so much so that he wants to be able to. He wants to offer that kind of mercy and is offering that kind of mercy.

That'S convicting. I mean, because I think in our human nature, we want to treat people the way they treat us or the way we think they deserve to be treated. Or my spouse, they've hurt me, they've wronged me, or they're not doing this, or they're doing this wrong, and I want them to suffer because of it. But instead of treating your spouse the way your spouse treats you, what would it look like if you treated your spouse the way God treats you? And so I think Part of the application for marriage, just out of this verse is if God has new mercies for us every single day, his faithfulness towards us never ends. What would it look like if we applied those same principles to our spouse? That you're new mercies for them were every single day. You woke up each day thinking the best of your spouse, offering them grace, believing in them, and recommitting daily to the promise you made to love them forever. I mean, God is doing that with us over and over again. So we should do that for one another within marriage.

We should. And if you're having trouble with that, you're in good company. Like, we're human, right?

Yeah.

We're not God. We are not God. And so of course we have trouble with this. But I firmly believe, and I've seen in my own life and in our life and in the lives of people we've worked with throughout the years, that with God's help, we can offer this kind of mercy. Like, we really can. We're like, this doesn't make sense. In my own fleshly ways, but because I love the Lord and I've asked him to help me in this part of my life, miraculously I'm able to offer mercy. I want to give you this one story, and then we're going to have to go. But this is probably the biggest kind of offering of mercy, and that doesn't make sense to me that I've ever witnessed in my life. And, you know, it affected Dave and I both. But you don't even know what I'm getting ready to say. Or maybe. Maybe you do. Okay. I don't know if we shared this on the podcast, but we both had a dear friend. Dave actually knew this guy longer than me, but I was. I went to church with this guy that we grew up with. And, I mean, he was one of those, like, just lovable guys. Everybody loved him and, you know, living life. We end up graduating high school, he ends up getting a job, and one day he's working at a. I think a CD shop. I mean, this is going to age us. In a downtown area and he gets held up at gunpoint.

Yeah. And music shop.

Or like a music shop CD.

Like bad. Like.

No, no, CDs, like compact discs.

Music and records. And they're like, this used to be a thing before you could download music. So he's.

I know it was. Yeah. Not quite as spiffy as it is now, but he gets held up at gunpoint, willing to give this guy. I mean, it was. How Much was in.

Yeah, it was like less than 50 bucks.

Right. And the guy shoots him anyway.

Yeah, our friend Derek was his name. Just. It was tragic. Tragic. He died early 20s, whole life ahead of him.

Whole life ahead. Yeah.

And, you know, we both knew and loved Derek. And Derek's mom, Diane, she responded to that, you know, with absolute heartbreaks you can imagine, but with a grace and a mercy. Refusing to grow bitter, but instead choosing to celebrate the time that she had with her son. She wore white to the funeral, celebrating that Derek was with Jesus. And she chose to pray, you know, pray for that person that had, that had done this crime, who was eventually, you know, arrested and is in prison right now, which is where he should be. But instead of just anger and hatred toward this person, she chose to keep a tender heart and pray, lord, let that man find you, because he's clearly lost, he's clearly hurting. Let him find you and help me not grow better, but instead with mercy, helped me to live my life with grace and peace. And because of that, she's been able to bring so many of Derek's friends to point them to faith in Christ because they want the peace that she has. And yeah, of course there were tears and pain and agony and all that. I mean, I'm not trying to sugarcoat it, but she chose mercy.

She chose to forgive. She told him, like the guy that shot her son told him through, you know, out of the jail or whatever, I forgive you. Like, she literally told him that she forgave him. And from what I've heard in the year, this is many years ago, I'm sure that inside, he might be inside the prison walls, but it's that just that mercy that only comes from God, really.

Yeah, you know, through Diana, because he's paid for it. Because like, and yeah, you need to, There are still natural consequences. You need to spend your life in jail, but. But your soul can be free and you can be forgiven and you, there's a chance you can actually have a reunion with the guy you shot in heaven. Brothers in Christ forever because of the mercy of what Jesus did on the cross, which is just a mind blowing amount of grace, and it's changing his.

Life, you know what I'm saying? I remember hearing that story and just knowing this family and it really challenged me. I thought, man, I would like to think I could do that, but gosh, I couldn't. In my own power.

No one could in their own flesh.

No, no, but it's so moving.

Just what Jesus makes possible. When you invite Jesus into your life. The Holy Spirit wants to produce that kind of fruit in your life, for we're capable of just supernatural amount of mercy and that will make a world changing difference in your own life to even help you forgive yourself. Yes, because Jesus has already taken a beating, so you don't have to beat yourself up for something he already paid for, but also to help you to forgive your spouse and to move forward with mercy. Now, there's still obviously we're not talking about abusive behavior, excusing, that kind of stuff. And you know, we don't have time to get into all that right now. But just know that mercy needs to be our default mode in marriage. And if it is, your marriage will thrive. Guys, thanks so much for tuning in today. See you tomorrow. Day 26 will be in the book of Ezekiel.