Rumination Journal

It is of   the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are   new every morning: great   is  T hy faithfulness. The LORD   is   my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. -- Lamentations 3:22-24 KJVB The Book of Lamentations tells of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which took place over 587 and 586 BC when Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar overran the city. The surviving inhabitants either fled to other countries, were carried away to Babylon as slaves or remained under the brutal rule of an occupying force. Lamentations is a collection of five poems. It does not name its author, but it is generally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. For many years, Jeremiah had warned the people and their leaders about their unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah knew that being chosen by God did not translate to a free pass. He knew that actions had consequences. If God's people were not faithf...

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. The LORD hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. -- Psalm 98:1-3 KJVB This passage is an excerpt of one of the Royal Psalms (Psalms 93 through 99), which God is praised as the King of His people. In this song of praise, “victory” and “salvation” allude to the same thing. The word translated as “victory” in verse one is the Hebrew word transliterated as “yasha” and meaning “to save” or “to deliver.” The word “salvation” in verses two and three are the Hebrew word transliterated as “yeshuah” and meaning “salvation” or “deliverance.” And so the passage is a song of salvation. For the Christian, the work of God’s redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ is...