Lamentations is a book of poems written by Jeremiah during/after the siege of Jerusalem. The poems describe the horrible conditions: starvation, the dead lie dying in the street, their city destroyed and yet Jeremiah has hope in the Lord. He reminds us that the love of the Lord endures forever, and His mercies are new every morning.
In our current worldwide pandemic, having hope is a necessity. We face a quickly changing, unknown world. Even though we have no idea of what the future holds, everything that occurs does so at His approval. We need to rely on His faithfulness to us and trust that His love is steadfast with new mercies every morning. Jeremiah tells us that he is waiting on the Lord, quietly and patiently. Waiting on the Lord is often the hardest part when things are difficult.
Passage:
Lamentations
Discovered:
- A book of poetry
- Jerusalem sits empty, a helpless city, everyone has gone into exile.
- Jerusalem remembers better times.
- As a result of their sins, Jerusalem is full of shame.
- It’s people go hungry.
- See the consequences of our sins, we’ve been crushed by the Lord’s judgement.
- Priests and elders starved to death.
- All of our enemies rejoice in our destruction, what we were warned about.
- No mercy from the Lord.
- Our rulers brought down, palaces and strongholds destroyed, wall destroyed, our elders sit in silence, our women are shamed, babies starve while the enemy rejoices.
- His promise of the destruction of Israel was fulfilled.
- Pray to the Lord, pour out your heart. Tell Him we eat our children, the priests are killed in your house, the dead lie everywhere.
- Jeremiah laments his condition: wasting away, broken and filled with bitterness, I cannot escape.
- However, I have HOPE because:
- His steadfast love never ceases.
- His mercies never end, new every morning
- Great is His faithfulness
- Lord is our portion
- I will wait patiently on the Lord.
- Even though He is the cause of our grief, He has compassion.
- Nothing occurs without the Lord putting it into motion.
- Do not complain about the consequences of your sins, examine your ways and return to the Lord.
- I call on the Lord and He hears my pleas.
- The Lord repays us according to the work of our hands.
- His people are scattered, treated as worthless, children beg for food, wealthy are now poor.
- It is better to be killed by the sword than to be hungry, for women boil their children.
- The false prophets and leaders caused their destruction.
- Even the anointed (Kings) have been captured.
- Our inheritance has been given away, we have nothing, but must pay for everything.
- Lord, you reign forever, we ask you to restore us to You.
Help me to remember:
to have HOPE, every day is a new day, your love endures forever.
Lord, I ask that . . .
You fill my heart with hope and your love when the world seems bleak.
Heavenly Father, I am thankful for . . .
the knowledge that nothing happens without your say-so.
