"his compassions fail not" (Lamentations 3:22)
Lamentations 3:22-24 "¶ It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."
The context of this passage is established in the first verse of this chapter, that is:
Lamentations 3:1 "I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath."
This was a man that have seen the rod of chastisement of the LORD, as in:
Proverbs 13:24 "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
God the Father is the Father of every born again believer, and he will chasten us as a father to a son by the rod of his wrath. This is his love, according to Proverbs 13:24.
Lamentations 3:22 tells us that it is because of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy:
Romans 9:15 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
In fact, this verse was Paul quoting from the books of Moses, in:
Exodus 33:19 "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."
This was the LORD telling Moses that he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion, and mercy on whom he will have mercy. Therefore, compassion is another word for "grace".
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
It is by God's grace (compassion) that we are not consumed, and it is through "faith" we are saved. Moreover, Lamentations 3:22 also tells us that "his compassions fail not".
2 Samuel 7:14-15 "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee."
The context of this passage was God speaking to king David about Solomon. In verse 14, God told David that he will chasten Solomon as a father to a son (with the rod of men) if he commit iniquity. But, notice in verse 15 "... my mercy shall not depart away from him".
God will not fail to chastise a born again believer because "his compassions fail not" (Lamentations 3:22). His mercies are new every morning, as in:
Ecclesiastes 1:5 "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose."
This is the Bible connecting God's mercies to light.
Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"
Every born again believer is a child of light, even though they may sometimes be in darkness. But God's mercies are as the sun that riseth every morning, which is to say, his compassions (grace) fail not.
God will have mercy to whom he will be have mercy, and he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious i.e. "great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23).
Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."
Genesis 31:14 "And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?"
Another word for "portion" is "inheritance" according to this verse. Therefore, the LORD is the inheritance of every born again believer. The end of every born again believer is to receive everlasting life and a new body that is not flesh and blood, isn't it?
It all began with a simple faith. What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Faith started off in the life of a believer as a “seed”, which is the word of God (Luke 8:11). Seed to a believer is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: it started off little, but it has the potential to grow into something great i.e. a tree bearing fruits and more seeds.