EVERY MORNING

The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:22–24

I have a heart burdened for men who are chained up in the sin of pornography. One of my favorite aspects of ministry is when someone says something like: “Pastor, I need to get clean.” What an amazing thing it is when God calls a sinner into the light! And I don’t keep it a secret that part of the reason I’m passionate about this is because of the hold that it used to have on my life. The journey towards freedom was unlike anything I imagined it would be, and I never would have guessed that the “secret” to freedom from addiction is the Grace of God. Shame and guilt are the shackles and locks used by the Enemy to keep folks paralyzed and continuing in their sin. That’s part of how this passage has always struck me because of where it is found. Lamentations is not written from a place of comfort or visible blessing. It is written from the middle of devastation. Jerusalem is in ruins, and the weight of judgment is undeniable. Yet right there, almost unexpectedly, comes this statement about mercy. Jeremiah does not deny hardship. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he shows us a recalibration within it. He says the Lord’s mercies are the reason things are not worse. “We are not consumed” is a humbling phrase. By God’s Grace, there are sinners who are not consumed, and every morning we wake to the Faithful One who looks on us with compassion. That is a road that leads to freedom.

Joe Ensley