LEARNING DAILY

Lamentations 3:21, This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

Yesterday I finished reading the writings of Jeremiah, and as I began to read the introduction to the book of Lamentations, the verse above was highlighted in it. Yesterday’s blog page included Pastor Jonathon Moore’s comments about hope. Remember he said hope was not wishful thinking, but “confident expectation of something good”.

The David Jeremiah Study Bible’s introduction to Lamentation states, “Lamentations is often called the most sorrowful book in the Bible, written by the most sorrowful author – Jeremiah – known as the weeping prophet”. It goes on to explain that Jeremiah is in deep sorrow over the siege of Jerusalem and the terrible things that went with this siege. Jeremiah knows that God is a righteous Judge and the sins of the people must be dealt with; the people have become spiritually defiled, and God is carrying out the consequences warned about through His prophets.

Read Lamentations 3:1-20 and you will read about a man suffering so deeply and in great despair because of what has happened to Jerusalem. Yet! Yet, he recalls, he remembers, and he has hope. He has hope in the mercy of God and His unfailing compassion. I am not sure any Believer wants to live in the valley where “stuff” just seems to continue to happen, where there are trials and temptations and worries and anxieties. But that is where growth occurs. All Believers remember those times when everything was going great – there were no worries, singing praises came easily, those times considered “mountain top experiences”. Jeremiah was suffering greatly, but he recalled those times God was faithful to him. That brought him hope.

As Believers, we need to reflect on those times of God’s faithfulness to us when we go through times of even great despair. We remember God never changes. The circumstances of the Believer may change but his/her walk on the narrow way is based on trust and faith in God whose love and compassion remains constant. Read Lamentations 3:22-23, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” God is faithful! In the midst of taking all his pain and sorrow to the Lord, Jeremiah knew that He heard and would respond in time (supports Pastor Moore’s message, doesn’t it!). Jeremiah’s lamentation was an expression of his faith in an unchanging God!

Pastor Moore also said, “Hope must be practiced in our waiting”. Again. Jeremiah supports this by reminding Believers that hope is expressed in the Believer’s faith as he/she trusts in God’s faithfulness, even with all the things going on around him/her that would try to drag them down in discouragement and defeat.

I began with the DJSB’s introduction. I am going to finish this page with thoughts it states are worth remembering:

“Because God is faithful, we can have confidence when we pray.

Because God is faithful, we can conquer evil and temptation.

Because God is faithful, we can praise Him.

Because God is faithful, we can have courage when we are afraid.

The prophet’s point was: when you do not understand what is going on, and when things are not going as you would like, you can have courage in the time of trouble if you understand that God is faithful.”

Be encouraged today that God knows everything about you and your situation. He cares about it and loves you more than you know!