Great Is Your Faithfulness: Hope in God’s Discipline | Lamentations 3:22–23

Introduction: When Hope Is Spoken from Ruins

We’ve all done things we’ve regretted.
And often, there was a cost associated with it.

Scripture never denies suffering. In this fallen world, suffering is part of the human condition and can arise for different reasons. Sometimes, as with Job, suffering is unrelated to personal sin—he was “blameless and upright,” yet tragedy befell him (Job 1:1). Other times, suffering results from personal sin. In those moments, Lamentations 3:22-23 guides us to remember God after discipline has come. While Lamentations does not address all suffering, it specifically teaches us how to respond when suffering stems from divine discipline.

Sin, Consequences, and the Discipline of a Loving Father

Sin always carries consequences. God may mercifully restrain consequences or remove His hand and allow them. Hebrews 12:5-6 reminds us that God disciplines those whom He loves. His discipline is not punishment to destroy, but correction with His people’s eternity in view. In the case of Israel, this principle is clearly illustrated. Israel’s exile becomes a historical example of the loving discipline described in the book of Hebrews.

Israel’s Sin and God’s Judgment Through Babylon

Israel forsook the one true God, turning from YHWH to other gods. Despite God repeatedly warning them through the prophets to put away these other gods and to turn back to him, they refused to repent. As a result, God used Babylon as an instrument of judgment. This demonstrates that God is holy, but He is also sovereign—even over evil nations, using them to fulfill His purposes.

What Is Lamentations?

Traditionally, the book of Lamentations is attributed to Jeremiah, a/k/a the “weeping prophet.” It is a collection 5 poems, lamenting Jerusalem’s fall. Babylon burned the city, destroyed the temple, and deported many of God’s people into exile. The structure of these poems is important to note: each is acrostic, meaning each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet — 22 letters, 22 verses per poem. However, chapter three intensifies that structure—Jeremiah uses 3 verses per letter, for a total of 66. This careful order reminds us that lament is not chaotic despair but grief deliberately brought before God.

What It Means to Lament

To lament means to express sorrow, grief, and regret before God. Importantly, biblical lament is not a form of faithlessness. In fact, it is just the opposite — it is faithful honesty. Lamenting is a way we can wrestle with and bring our pain and questions before God. Crucially, true lament always returns to remembrance—recalling who God is and His past faithfulness. That’s exactly what we see in Lamentations 3.

“The Man Who Has Seen Affliction” (Lamentations 3)

The speaker, “the man who has seen affliction” (v. 1), laments the consequences of sin: darkness, bitterness, grief, sadness, isolation, and humiliation. He sees his suffering as the Lord’s discipline. This poem lingers in pain, processing it through lament.

The Turning Point: Calling Truth to Mind

Lamentations 3 does not end in grief and despair, as no lament should. After processing his sadness and wrestling with the whys, the speaker makes a deliberate turn. In the midst of the pain, he stops and says

“This I call to mind…”

Hope is not found by ignoring his suffering. Rather, hope is found by remembering God’s character. It is this act of remembrance that builds faith and gives hope. This is where our memorization verse comes in.

The Focus Passage: Lamentations 3:22–23

 

 

“We Are Not Consumed”: Mercy in the Midst of Judgment

Jerusalem was not completely destroyed; a remnant was preserved, and that remnant would eventually return and rebuild Jerusalem. This sparing of a remnant connects back to God’s covenant with Abraham, where He promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation. Even in judgment, God’s covenantal promise ensures that His people are not entirely consumed. God’s judgment had limits. They could have been consumed. They were not. God’s restraint is His act of mercy, reflecting His enduring commitment to His covenant people.

God’s Compassions Never Fail

God’s compassion stays through judgment. His discipline does not cancel His covenant love. God’s faithfulness continues even when His people are unfaithful. God’s compassions never fail, renewed every morning.

New Every Morning: Daily Mercy in Scripture

God often provides for His people one day at a time. In the wilderness, God provided for Israel in this way. Each morning, He provided them new manna, just enough sustenance for each day. God’s provision one day at a time ensures that His people realize their need for Him, not only physically but spiritually (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus echoed this daily mercy in the Lord’s prayer, where He instructed His disciples to pray “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). And in Psalm 30:5, the psalmist recounts:

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

God does not promise an easy tomorrow, but He does promise fresh mercy today. Scripture, then, does more than describe God’s mercy; it also helps us understand why God sometimes allows His people to be brought so low.

Why God Allows Us to Be Brought Low

In the midst of lament, we often find ourselves asking God, like Habakkuk did, “How long, oh Lord?” or “Why God, why?” At this point, Scripture as our teacher does not leave us in the dark about why God allows us to be brought so low.

The Apostle Paul, no stranger to calamity, explained to the Corinthians that the reason he experienced troubles and pressure, so extreme that he was sure he would die, was so that he would not rely on himself but on God, who raises the dead! (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).

The author of Hebrews reminds us that even Jesus the Son learned obedience from what he suffered (Hebrews 5:7-8). Hebrews 12 later explains that God’s discipline produces holiness, yields righteousness and peace, and trains those who submit to it.

Discipline That Rebuilds

Sometimes God tears down to rebuild. Though this is painful, it is purposeful and makes us stronger.

God’s Faithfulness Fulfilled in Christ

We can trust that God is faithful because God’s character is eternal. God’s faithfulness was fulfilled fully in Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus promises us that the evil one will never snatch us away from Him (John 10:28). So while evil may come close, it will not have the final word. Because God’s faithfulness is settled in Christ, the posture that remains for God’s people is waiting.

Waiting on the Lord with Hope

Lamentations 3 later declares:

Waiting is not passive; it is trust shaped by our remembrance. Again, we can look to the prophet Habakkuk as an example. Habakkuk knew that God isn’t silent, distant, or dismissive. He knew that God had something to say to ANYONE willing to listen and to WAIT for his reply. So he waited. We, too, can wait on the LORD through our trials because we know who He is. We have hope.  

Conclusion: Hope That Endures Discipline

God’s faithfulness does not fail in suffering. His mercy remains even in judgment. Lament teaches us how to grieve without losing hope. We remember

• Who God is
• What He has done; and
• Why we can still trust Him

Lamentations 3:22-23 teaches that faith endures not by circumstances restored, but by continually remembering God amid discipline. In suffering and hope, the main idea is that God’s faithfulness sustains us.