Reflections with Andy - Lamentations 3: 21-25 – New Starts
Every day is a new start with God. Each morning, we see new mercies!
Today, we start a new season of our Reflections as we reflect on Lamentations 3:21–25, We see that new beginnings are grounded in hope. Looking to the example of Jeremiah, who proclaimed God’s faithfulness while witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem, we remember that following Christ does not guarantee an easy life, but it does offer a meaningful one sustained by God’s steadfast love. Faith is trusting God’s presence even when circumstances are painful or uncertain, believing that His mercies are “new every morning.” Whether life is joyful or difficult, we hold fast to God’s faithfulness, knowing that every new day is evidence of His grace and that hope remains because God never abandons His people.
Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.
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Well, good morning!
Remember me? I’m Andy Stoddard. It’s good to be with you again for another reflection. It’s been a minute since we’ve done this together.
As you may have noticed, I’m in a completely new environment. I’m recording this from my office at First United Methodist Church of Starkville as I begin my new appointment as senior pastor here. So it’s a whole new setting. You’ll notice some familiar things behind me that you’ve seen before, but there’s some new stuff too.
I’ve still got a lot of work to do getting my office the way I want it. It’s in decent shape—not great—but it’s getting there. My books are still stacked everywhere, and I’ve got to get them organized.
It really is good to be back with you.
This week I’m probably just going to do some daily reflections. I’m not going to jump right back into a full Bible study like we’ve done in the past. We’ll ease back into things, and then next week we’ll begin walking through another book of the Bible together like we always have.
If you’re new to these reflections, welcome. My name is Andy Stoddard. I’m the senior pastor here at Starkville First. I’m married to Holly, and we have two children, Sarah and Thomas. I love Scripture. I love God’s Word. I love the Church. I love my United Methodist Church. I love baseball—I’m a Giants fan, and unfortunately they’re terrible this year. Our bullpen can’t seem to get anybody out, but it is what it is.
More than anything, I love ministry, and I love seeing God change people’s lives.
One of the primary ways I believe God changes us is through reading Scripture. People have heard me say this a million times: if you want to do something nice for your preacher—if you want to give your pastor a gift—read your Bible. Read it every day. I promise you, if you read your Bible every day, God will do something with that.
So today we’re going to begin in God’s Word.
Since this is a new beginning for me—and, in some ways, for all of us—I thought we’d begin in the book of Lamentations. Maybe that sounds like an odd choice, but hopefully you’ll see why.
We’re going to read Lamentations 3:21–25:
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in Him.’The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul that seeks Him.”
And yes, I’m drinking this morning from my Mississippi State Wesley Foundation mug. If you’ve got a student headed to Mississippi State University this fall, I’d encourage you to connect them with Amy and the wonderful ministry happening through the Wesley Foundation.
I love this passage because it’s a passage of hope.
New beginnings call for new hope.
Now, many of you know the story behind Lamentations. It’s traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, who is often called “the weeping prophet.” Jeremiah ministers during one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history, when Jerusalem falls and the people are carried into exile.
Much of Jeremiah and much of Lamentations is heartbreaking. It is the voice of someone who has been faithful to God and yet watches everything he loves fall apart.
There is grief. There is loss. There is sorrow.
In many ways, Lamentations is like the Psalms. It gives us permission to bring our brokenness before God.
Because following Jesus does not guarantee an easy life.
I think sometimes we’ve bought into what I call the “Christian fairy tale”—the idea that if you follow Jesus, everything will suddenly become easy.
That’s just not what Scripture teaches.
Sometimes life becomes harder when we follow Jesus.
But it also becomes more meaningful.
An easy life without beauty can never compare to a difficult life filled with the beauty of Christ.
When we experience God’s love and allow that love to flow through us toward friend and enemy alike, we discover something truly beautiful.
That’s what Jeremiah discovers.
Even though he’s losing everything—even the land, the Temple, the nation itself—he can still say:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning.
Great is Your faithfulness.”
That’s remarkable.
His circumstances have not changed.
God’s faithfulness has not changed either.
Friends, God’s goodness is always there, even when we struggle to see it.
That’s what faith is.
The writer of Hebrews says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
If everything were obvious, it wouldn’t require faith.
Faith is trusting when we cannot yet see.
Faith is believing that God is with us when every emotion tells us otherwise.
Faith is stepping toward the edge of uncertainty and believing that somehow God will meet us there.
So today, I don’t know what you’re carrying.
Maybe life is wonderful right now.
If that’s you, praise God.
Celebrate His goodness.
I’ve had people tell me before, “Andy, I almost feel guilty because my testimony isn’t dramatic.”
Don’t.
I’d much rather someone have an easier life than a more dramatic testimony.
So if life is good today, thank God for it.
But if today feels more like Jeremiah...
If life doesn’t make sense...
If it feels like you’re losing something...
If your tears have become your daily bread...
Hold on.
You have to go through Good Friday before you get to Easter.
You have to walk through death before resurrection.
There’s a line from Turnpike Troubadours that I’ve always loved:
“We all want to be Hank Williams.
We just don’t want to have to die.”
That’s true spiritually, too.
Before resurrection comes surrender.
Before new life comes letting go of the old.
So if today feels like one of those seasons where everything is changing, hold on.
Jeremiah discovered that even while losing everything, God’s mercy had not run out.
His steadfast love had not failed.
Morning by morning, new mercies he saw.
Friends, if God woke you up today...
If He put breath in your lungs...
If He has given you another sunrise...
Then there is still grace for today.
One of the ladies in one of my churches used to tell me, “Andy, it’s better to be seen than viewed.”
I’ve never forgotten that.
So if you’re being seen today instead of viewed, it’s a good day.
Great is His faithfulness.
Find His grace.
Find His joy.
Find His truth.
This week we’ll continue with a different passage each morning—a simple devotional as we ease back into our rhythm together.
Then next week we’ll begin another study through a book of the Bible.
If there’s a particular book you’d like to study or a theme you’d like to explore, send me a message or an email. I’d love to hear your ideas as we begin this new journey together.
Thanks for being with me today.
Have a great rest of your day, and I’ll see you in the morning.