Vom Verzug göttlicher Hülfe. Morgen soll es besser werden
The Promise of Morning Mercy
The author introduces the hopeful refrain that God's goodness is renewed each morning, even amidst daily trials.
I've comforted myself and many a sad heart with this: tomorrow things will be better, with God's help. Ah, so soon? Yes, dearest heart—tomorrow, if God wills. I'm not saying that tomorrow you'll be without a cross. No—every day carries its own trouble on its back. I say: tomorrow things will be better. Listen: the Lord's goodness is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).✦1 3:23.
Waiting on the Lord's Timing
The reader is encouraged to cultivate patience and trust, waiting on God from one morning watch to the next.
When the dawn breaks, a new goodness breaks forth with it; this new goodness brings new strength of spirit, and that strength makes your cross lighter.✦ Things are already better for you than they were yesterday. Whenever you catch sight of a new day's light, remember this; thank God and say: "Thank God, things are already better for me." When morning comes and it feels like the improvement still isn't here, don't let your courage sink, but say with David: "My soul waits for God from one morning watch to the next."✦2 (Psalm 130:6)✦ That's how it has to be: you must wait on God. Even if today isn't the tomorrow in which you'd like to find relief, well, then it will come tomorrow. You have to wait on God.
The Wisdom of Divine Delay
God's timing is framed as an act of wisdom, ensuring that help arrives exactly when it best serves His glory and our salvation.
How many a little hour God waits for you. How long you often wait for a good friend! Come then, overcome yourself and hold out for a couple of little hours for God's honor as well.3 I'll set a limit to my sorrow; help will surely come—if not today, then tomorrow.4 If help doesn't come, comfort still comes; if comfort doesn't come, strength still comes. Tomorrow won't fail to come either; it arrives when God wills.5 God wills it when His honor and our salvation can be advanced.6 He knows well when it's best.
A Quiet Heart in Hope
The chapter concludes with a resolve to maintain a quiet, hopeful spirit that refuses to despair, regardless of how long the trial lasts.
His delay is a form of haste.7 So I'll keep a quiet spirit and hope in the Lord's goodness.✦ Even if it lasts into the night and on until morning, my heart won't despair of God's power or worry.
Read the original Latin
Damit hab ich mich und manch traurig Herz getröstet: Morgen soll es besser werden mit Gottes Hülfe. Ach so bald? Ja liebstes Herz morgen, ob Gott will. Ich sage nicht: morgen sollst du ohne Kreuz sein. Nein, ein jeder Tag trägt seine Plage auf dem Rücken. Ich sage: morgen soll es besser werden. Höre, des HErrn Güte ist alle Morgen neu Klagl. 3, 23.
Bricht die Morgenröthe heran, bricht eine neue Güte mit hervor; die neue Güte bringt neue Kraft des Geistes; die neue Kraft macht dir dein Kreuz leichter. Da ist dir schon besser als gestern. So oft du eines neuen Tages Licht erblickst, denke dran; danke Gott und sprich: Gottlob, mir ist schon besser. Komint der Morgen und dich dünkt die Besserung bleibe aus, laß den Muth nicht sinken sondern sage mit David: Meine Seele wartet auf Gott von einer Morgenwache bis zur andern Ps. 130, 6. So muß es sein, auf Gott muß man warten. Ist dann gleich nicht heut das morgen, darin du möchtest Linderung finden, ei so wird es morgen kommen. Auf Gott muß man warten.
Wie manch Stündlein wartet Gott auf dich. Wie lang wartest du oft auf einen guten Freund! Ei so überwinde dich und halte Gott zu ehren auch ein par Stündlein aus. Ich will meinem Trauren Maß seven; die Hülfe kommt gewiß, wo nicht heut doch morgen. Kommt Hülfe nicht, so kommt doch Trost; kommt Trost nicht, so kommt doch Kraft. Der morgende Tag bleibt auch nicht aus, er komunt wenn Gott will. Gott will wenn seine Ehre und unser Heil kann befördert werden. Er weiß wol, wenns am besten ist.
Sein Weilen ist ein Eilen. Drum will ich stilles Geistes sein, und auf die Güte des HErrn hoffen.
Und ob es währt bis in die Nacht, und wieder an den Morgen, soll doch mein Herz an Gottes Macht verzweifeln nicht noch sorgen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Lam.3.23 — They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
- ↩Lam.3.23 — They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
- ↩Ps.130.6 — My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, watchmen for the morning.
- ↩Ps.130.6 — My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, watchmen for the morning.
- ↩Lam.3.25-Lam.3.26;Ps.27.13-Ps.27.14;Ps.33.18-Ps.33.22 — The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. Lam.3.26 — It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Ps.27.13 — Had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living... Ps.27.14 — Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD. Ps.33.18 — Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Ps.33.19 — to deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine Ps.33.20 — Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Ps.33.21 — For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Ps.33.22 — Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Notes
- 1 ↩HErrn (Lutheran orthography for the divine name) rendered as Lord's; Güte kept as goodness rather than mercies, matching the German surface while still pointing to Lamentations 3:23.
- 2 ↩Source reading 'Komint' treated as intended 'Kommt' (comes), matching the chapter's other morning-help orthography and sense.
- 3 ↩Source "ein par Stündlein" read as "ein paar Stündlein" (a couple of little hours).
- 4 ↩Source "Maß seven" is almost certainly corrupt for "Maß setzen" (set a measure/limit). Translated the corrected reading.
- 5 ↩Source "komunt" read as "kommt" (comes).
- 6 ↩Elliptical "Gott will wenn...": taken as "God wills [it / the day / the help] when..." rather than bare "God wants if...".
- 7 ↩Paradoxical wordplay on Weilen (lingering/delay) and Eilen (hurrying/haste): God's apparent delay is already purposeful haste toward help.
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