Lamentations 3:21-26 - Hope in Waiting for God and His Mercy.

Lam 3:21 (NLT)  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
Lam 3:22 (NLT)  The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By
his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.
Lam 3:23 (NLT)  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin
afresh each day.
Lam 3:24 (NLT)  I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
Lam 3:25 (NLT)  The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait
for him and seek him.
Lam 3:26 (NLT)  So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from
the LORD.

The theological high point of the book of Lamentations. [NIV SB]

Verses 21-36. Having stated his distress and temptation, the
prophet shows how he was raised above it. Bad as things are, it is owing
to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should observe what
makes for us, as well as what is against us. God's compassions fail
not; of this we have fresh instances every morning. Portions on earth
are perishing things, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty,
and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly to
wait for the salvation of the Lord. Afflictions do and will work very
much for good: many have found it good to bear this yoke in their
youth; it has made many humble and serious, and has weaned them from
the world, who otherwise would have been proud and unruly. If
tribulation work patience, that patience will work experience, and that
experience a hope that makes not ashamed. Due thoughts of the evil of sin,
and of our own sinfulness, will convince us that it is of the Lord's
mercies we are not consumed. If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The
Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my
portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? Happy shall we be, if
we learn to receive affliction as laid upon us by the hand of God.
[Matthew Henry Commentary]

Here at the heart of this book we find one of the greatest
confessions of faith found anywhere in the Bible. Jeremiah had been dwelling
on his sorrows and the sorrows of his people, but then he lifted
his eyes to the Lord--and this was the turning point. In the midst of
sorrow and ruin he remembered the mercy of the Lord. "His compassions
fail not." We have failed Him, but He cannot fail us. "Great is Your
faithfulness."
The faithfulness of God is a tremendous encouragement in days
when people's hearts are failing them for fear. If you build your
life on people or on the things of this world, you will have no hope
or security; but if you build on Christ, the Faithful One, you will
be safe forever. He is faithful to chasten (Ps. 119:75);
Lamentations itself teaches this lesson. He wants to bring us to the place of
repentance and confession (Lam. 3:39-41). He is faithful to forgive when we
do confess our sins (1 John 1:9). He is faithful to sympathize when
we have burdens and problems (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-16). We never need
fear that He is too busy to listen or too tired to help. He is
faithful to deliver when we cry out for help in temptation (1 Cor.
10:13). He is faithful to keep us in this life and unto life eternal (1
Tim. 1:15; 1 Thes. 5:23-24). We can commit our lives and souls into
the hands of the faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19) and know that He
will do all things well.
God in His mercy spared a remnant of Judah, protected and
blessed them during their years of captivity, and then permitted them to
return to their land once again. He enabled them to rebuild their city
and temple; He protected them from heathen nations that hated the
Jews. How merciful God was to His people. How merciful He is to us
today.
In times of trouble we need to imitate Jeremiah who looked away
from himself to the Lord, and who waited on the Lord in patience and
faith (3:24-26). Too often we look at ourselves and our problems and
become so discouraged that we quit. Instead, we must "look away unto
Jesus" (Heb. 12:1-2) and let Him see us through. It is difficult to
wait on the Lord. Our fallen nature craves activity, and usually what
we do only makes matters worse. Jeremiah waited on the Lord,
trusted in His mercy, and depended on His faithfulness. He knew the
truth of Isa. 40:31 (NKJV), "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall
run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." [Wiersbe
Expository Outlines]