Chesed

In church last week we studied the Hebrew word, chesed, which means steadfast love, mercy, loving-kindness... The context in which we examined the word was pouring out our hearts to God. Only by emptying ourselves, even through complaint and lament, can we continue to cling to God's love, His chesed.

Almost a week later a song was stuck in my head. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases..." The simple words, by Edith McNeil in case you want to look up the lyrics yourself, are of course adapted from Lamentations 3.

Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

I went to my trusty Strong's concordance (which is actually my mom's, come to think of it), then to a Bible program on my computer, then to Blue Letter Bible. Sure enough, the word "mercies" is chesed.

So in church this morning the teacher had us going to guess which passage? You guessed it! Lamentations 3. I love when God reminds me He's paying attention and active in the details. So I thought I would share the little message with you.

For more information on the importance of lament in the Bible, or on chesed, read Michael Card's book, A Sacred Sorrow.

To God be all glory.