The Prophet Jeremiah lived in the time of Israel’s greatest departure from the Lord. His grief was almost beyond expression. He told of it in the small collection of writings we know as the Book of Lamentations. Yet, in the midst of this little book he came forth with some profound expressions of hope. An adaptation of what he said has been helpful to countless people who have sung the Gospel hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” composed by Thomas O. Chisholm in 1923. See here the Scripture that inspired that hymn.

Lamentations 3:22-26—It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed (not brought to our end; not destroyed), because His compassions fail not (they never cease). They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him  (I am caused to wait with expectation before Him). The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him (makes frequent enquiry of Him). It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait (wait in silent expectation) for the salvation of the LORD.

David knew of this when he wrote Psalm 65. Verse 1 of this Psalm is a portion of Scripture we have often sung—Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion. The word waiteth is built on the same root as the word wait in the preceding verse from Lamentations. But in Psalm 65it occurs as a Noun making the words to mean: “Waiting for Thee is praise, O God, in Zion.”

MY DEAR LORD, I praise You for the work You finished for those of us who flee to You for refuge. What mercy! What hope is ours when we enter that place and the work becomes Yours, not ours, to perform! Teach us, Your people, more of what it means to live out of the resources of that work You finished in our behalf.

 

and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

I Peter 3:15