Great is Thy Faithfulness

Posted by laurieetta on April 22, 2024 in Being Human | 2 Comments

This portrayal of Jeremiah by Michelangelo is part of the monumental masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Jeremiah is one of the seven prophets depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling. He is portrayed as an older man, his face etched with lines of wisdom and sorrow. You can almost see the inner turmoil in his tense posture. He was nicknamed the “weeping prophet,” his tears flowing from a heart broken by people in exile who had abandoned God. His writings are both hopeful and sorrowful. Here is a passage from his book of Lamentations:

Lamentations 3:22-33 (NIV)

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, 
    for his compassions never fail. 
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. 
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; 
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him; 
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly 
    for the salvation of the Lord. 
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence, 
    for the Lord has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust —
    there may yet be hope. 
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, 
    and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For no one is cast off
    by the Lord forever. 
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love. 
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.

You may recognize the first verses from the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, written in 1923 by Thomas Chisolm. What I love about this passage is that it not only gives us hope but it also gives us a hint as to what to do when we find ourselves facing trouble. We not only trust in the Lord’s faithfulness, but we also have an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

He suggests the trouble we find ourselves in may be of our own doing. No one wants to hear that, but he suggests that instead of blaming others, we “bear the yoke” (vs. 27) of our troubles. In other words, come willingly under God’s discipline in order to learn the lesson that he has to teach us.

Jeremiah offers up several ways to do this:

• sit alone in silent reflection (v. 28);
• repent of our wrongdoings with due humility (v. 29);
• face the consequences of our mistakes with grace instead of defensiveness (v. 30);
• and be confident that the Lord’s lessons are for our good because of his unfailing love and compassion (v. 32).

Being Human connection: Jeremiah knew from experience that God was faithful and just. We can experience that as well. Even when we make mistakes, we will not be consumed by them. God is bigger than our mistakes or bad decisions, but it is the wise who learn from them. Not every trouble is one of our own doings, but when it is, don’t be discouraged. No matter how many times we mess up, the Lord’s got our back.

Featured art: Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Prophet Jeremiah, 1508-1512, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome