📜 The Word

“For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”
—Lamentations 3:31-33 NIV

“For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.”
—Lamentations 3:31-33 KJV

❓ The Meaning

The text holds tension without apology: God allows grief yet does not delight in it. Discipline, grief from our own errant actions, is real, but it is not God’s deepest impulse. Compassion, not punishment, has the final word. Grief from our own compassion reminds us of our own Love for others, even for ourselves.

Hope emerges not from denial of suffering, but from clarity about who God truly is.

🧱 Sidebar — Did you Notice?

I got a little hung up on the “allows grief” part so I kept digging.

In Lamentations 3, both KJV and NIV holds two truths together without “taking it back”:
God may allow grief, but grief does not flow from His heart.

This means sorrow can be permitted for a while without being desired by God. Compassion is not His response after grief—it is His underlying disposition even while grief is present.

Why it matters:
You are never suffering because God delights in pain. Discipline may be real, consequences may be heavy, but mercy remains God’s settled intention.

The Hebrew of “cause” or “allow” here is often translated: To afflict, to humble, to press down, or bring low.

It turns out, the Hebrew doesn’t put a distinction between the action and the intention like our English does. From what I read, this would be understood to be clear that grief is not the point— that compassion is.

Specifically, compassion is the product of grief. Our English brains have a tough one with that. It almost literally means in the original Hebrew— “Grief is Good”

🌎 The World Behind the Word

Lamentations was written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction in 586 BC. The city lay in ruins, the temple burned, and the people thrown into exile. This book gives voice to communal grief without rushing past it. In chapter 3, hope does not arrive through changed circumstances (there it is yet again so may as well learn to work through it) but through a recovered understanding of God’s character—steadfast love even in troubled times.

🌿 Covenant Contrast

Old Covenant thinking (under suffering):
“If I’m hurting, God must be distant or displeased.”

New Covenant living (Book of Romans 12:1):
“Because of God’s mercy, I offer my whole life—even in grief—as worship.”
Suffering no longer defines God’s heart; mercy defines how we respond.

🙏 Prayer

Compassionate Lord,

Meet me honestly in my grief
and steady me with Your steadfast love.
Help me trust Your heart even when
Your ways are hard to understand.

Amen

🤵 Pastoral Word

Grief does not mean God has withdrawn. Often times grief ushers in the Love and Mercy we need in the moment of grief. Today, allow sorrow to coexist with trust rather than expecting it to be replaced. Wow— how powerful!

🔥 Carry this With You Today

God’s compassion outlasts my pain.

🎧 A Spoken Blessing

If you’d rather listen than read, this short benediction is for you. Let it settle the week and prepare you for the days ahead.

▶️ Listen to the Benediction

May what you received this week continue to steady you.
May fear loosen its grip as trust finds its footing.
Go into rest held, renewed, and unafraid.

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Good Grief!