Lamentations 3

So many things have drawn me towards Lamentations today. The immense angst that he faced comes and goes in my psyche, too. Of course my life isn't facing the horrible gruesome war Jeremiah faced when he wrote this. But sometimes siege feels like just the right word. Sometimes chewing on gravel sounds pretty familiar. Read the whole thing if you haven't already. Pretty dark at first glance, huh?

A neat fact is that the entire book of Lamentations is a collection of alphabetic acrostics meaning that each verse starts with each letter of the alphabet in sequence. Each chapter goes through the alphabet twice. The cool thing about that to me is even in the worst kind of personal persecution, the beauty of methodical poetry came from Jeremiah's writing. Sometimes I can feel my own creativity wilt under the stress of my world. But it reminds me that when I allow God's words to flow through me, like Jeremiah promised to allow when he was first called, glorious ideas can still flow from the most perilous times.

But enough about the lamenting stuff. Let's look at the silver lining verses.

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

Can you dare to put your hope in Christ when you feel surrounded by misunderstanding, mistrust, miscommunication, misfortune, and any other bad mis-es? (I struggle to.)

Can you wake up each morning with a fresh faith in His unending mercies? (It's not daily for me yet.)

Can you wait patiently for Him like for a promised future inheritance? (Barely.)

Can you wait quietly on His timing for His plan to rescue you? (Put me down as a "no.")

Can you carry His yoke of discipline and learn through the pain to depend on Him even more? (It's such a relief when I do.)

Can you turn the other cheek knowing His compassion will not leave you abandoned in shame? (I know I must.)

If you don't relate to this chapter, stop right now and praise God for His goodness. You are in a wonderful place. But, here's the tough part. If you do relate to this chapter, stop right now and praise God for His goodness. God is good. All the time. It's not just a catchy phrase.