Tag: Lamentations 3:22-23
Lament over Jerusalem!
Scripture reading for August 16: Lamentations 1-5
Jeremiah composed a series of five funeral songs about the death of Jerusalem and the captivity of God’s people. As a pastor, this book is helpful to gain insight into the process of grief and helping families and individuals deal with death and loss. Grief takes time and energy to process. Mourning people go through stages ranging from disbelief and shock, to mourning and wailing, blaming others or God, to quiet acceptance and finally readiness to move on. God understands our grief and sorrows for His Son, Jesus, was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. (Isaiah 53:3)
Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet because he had a tender heart of compassion for God’s people. (Lamentations 1:16) He had warned them faithfully of the coming judgment and destruction of Jerusalem. He had witnessed the destruction and now wrote to chronicle the grief process. Jeremiah was a lot like Jesus Christ, Who also wept over the city of Jerusalem as He saw prophetically the destruction that was to come upon it for their rejection of Him as their Messiah. (Matthew 23:37-39) God values tears so much that the Psalmist said He gathers them up in a bottle and records them on a scroll. (Psalm 56:8) Tears are a sign of compassion and were cried by Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb and again over Jerusalem.
In Lamentations 3, the prophet is recounting his misery and described it with images that bring Isaiah 53 and the crucifixion to mind. In the middle of his rant, he turned his thoughts to hope! (Lamentation 3:20-21) He remembered God’s steadfast love and great compassion. Jeremiah declared that His mercy is “new every morning” and that “great is God’s faithfulness”. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Because God was Jeremiah’s portion, he chose to wait for the Lord, Who is good to those who wait for Him and put their hope in Him! It is truly God’s mercy that gives us hope and leads us to repentance! (Romans 2:4)
This funeral lament ends with words of faith and hope and a prayer. God is sovereign and reigns forever. In His compassion, He would restore them as they prayed. Take a moment and offer a prayer of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord for His loving compassion today. His Son Jesus Christ wept over us and bore our sorrows and tears that we might live in His love and receive new mercies every morning!
“You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to Yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless You have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.” Lamentations 5:19-22
Rejoice in Fiery Trials!
Scripture reading for November 12th: Lamentations 3-5, Ezekiel 1, 1st Peter 4
Key Scriptures: 1st Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
Life will have its trials and tests. We will be called upon to suffer because we bear the Name of Jesus Christ as our Lord. When we suffer for doing good or as a believer, we can rejoice and be glad. God will bless us with His Spirit of glory resting upon us to give us grace to endure and the sure hope of eternal reward in God’s presence.
Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your faithful mercies and mighty Hand! Help me to rejoice in suffering and trials, relying on Your steadfast love and new mercies each day. Amen.