Have you ever been in a desperate situation where you were waiting on God for deliverance? Back in 2010, I was diagnosed with cancer, and it sent my family into a tailspin! Both of my in-laws died of cancer, so my husband was especially numb when the diagnosis came. My first reaction was: oh God, I’m going to die. And He spoke to my heart, telling me, “This is not how I’m going to take you out of this world. Fight.” And fight I did. Surgery. Chemotherapy. Preparation for reconstruction. Reconstruction surgery. Continuing to work a job throughout the whole process. And the things that got me through this desperate time were my faith in God, my supportive family, my church, and the mission I’d been given to walk through this illness in such a way as to be an example to others who were watching. Some of those watchers were patients at the cancer center who were terrified about their own diagnoses. I would sit in my treatment chair, get a shot of Benadryl to ward off allergic reaction to the chemo, and encourage those sitting near me until the Bendryl made me fall asleep. I would share prayer requests with my support people addressed “Dear Barnabas…” in honor of the Apostle Paul’s super-encouraging partner in ministry. Those people lifted me up, brought meals to my family, encouraged me. Here I am 13 years later! Praise Jesus!!! There is hope in the midst of suffering. I don’t know what you’re struggling with right now. What I do know is: that same hope exists for you, too.
Today, we’re looking at the book of Lamentations. These 5 chapters are about desolation, hope, sovereignty,
consequences. Judah exiled, sanctuary abandoned, I have hope: the Lord reigns.
When we walk away from our time together today, I want
you to know The Sovereign Lord, Whose
compassions never fail, reigns forever.
He is on the throne and actively in charge. Let’s open with a word of prayer.
Father-God, open
our eyes and hearts to the hope we have in the midst of our suffering. Change
our outlook to live in that hope, to seek You in the midst of the pain, so that
we may be delivered from what enslaves us.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our text is divided into three parts, today:
1.Judah has gone into exile; the Lord has abandoned His
sanctuary (Lam 1-2)
2.I have seen the affliction of the Lord’s wrath, yet the
Lord is good to the one who seeks Him (Lam 3)
3.My people have become heartless, yet You, Lord, reign
forever (Lam 4-5)
Let’s dive right in to this amazing Old Testament book.
Read Lamentations
1:1-10.
The author of the book is grieving over the destruction
of Jerusalem. In these verses, Judah is
personified. The city of Jerusalem is
desolate. She was once great. She is now a slave. Betrayed by friends, Judah was carried off to
exile in Babylon. So, if everyone has
been carried off into exile, who are the groaning priests and grieving
women? Well, the Babylonians didn’t take
everyone. Some people were left
behind. Those who were neither a threat nor
an asset to Babylon were left behind to die.
There was no fear that they would rise up to attack Babylon in
retaliation. These “weaklings” would not
be a drain on the Babylonian economy or security forces. Babylon took the strong, the intelligent, the
affluent. Isn’t this interesting? Doesn’t Judah’s betrayal by friends remind
you of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss?
Does Judah being carried off to Babylon remind you of Jesus being turned
over to the “authorities” for trial?
When I studied this passage, I was also struck by how the
“world system” thinks. Babylon is
representative of that “world system”.
Check out Revelation 17-18. Babylon
took the strong people and left the weak behind. 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us that God chooses
the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chooses the weak to shame the strong.
Judah was under God’s judgment. Those carted off to Babylon and those left
behind were guilty of numerous sins. Sinfulness
leads to desolation. Sinfulness leads to
slavery. Sinfulness separates us from
God. Even if we’re in a salvation
relationship with Him. Have you ever
felt truly, hopelessly distant from God since you gave your heart to
Jesus? Guess who moved away. You did.
God only departs when we reject Him because He is a Gentleman. Sinfulness causes God’s splendor to depart
from us. Judah’s sin of idolatry has
been likened to adultery in Scripture, and now, that filth has clung to
her. The enemy has laid hands on her
treasures, and taken them away. How are
you guarding your treasures? What treasures are you guarding? Let’s continue.
Read Lamentations
1:11-22.
The starving people groan and barter for food. How could the Lord do this, you ask? How could He not? He has warned Judah over and over again about
what was going to happen. He has told
Judah to turn back to Him. Judah
continued pursuing her adulteries. God
had to send her into exile. He is a God
of His word! We see in this passage that
sinfulness entraps. Sinfulness
burdens. Sinfulness weakens. Sinfulness crushes. Sinfulness brings tears. Especially for those of us who are watching
loved ones become entrapped by their sinfulness. It breaks the heart of a believer to watch
the enemy prevail with a loved one. It
hurts to watch a loved one become an “unclean thing.” As you mature in Christ, it will break your
heart to watch the enemy prevail with anyone.
It will hurt you to watch anyone become an “unclean thing.”
Many scholars believe the author of this book to be the
prophet Jeremiah. And in these verses,
the author doesn’t disassociate himself from rebellious Judah. Does that sound like Jesus? The author feels betrayed by his allies. Does that sound like Jesus? He is distressed and tormented. Does that sound like Jesus? His enemies rejoice at his torment. Does that sound like Jesus? The author prays for God to deal with his
enemies the way God has dealt with him because of his sins.
Jesus took my sin upon Himself. He took your sin upon Himself. Sinless Jesus became sin so all people could
be restored to intimate relationship with God the Father. And while He was suffering on the cross, He
prayed for His Father to forgive. He
knew what was in the heart of people and said, “they don’t know what they’re
doing.” Let’s continue.
Read Lamentations
2:1-12.
God can get pretty angry, can’t He? He is not standing idly by, helpless,
watching Judah’s enemies do this to her.
He is orchestrating this. Where
are you stubbornly trying to have your way?
Where are you rebelling against God?
What good do you know you should be doing, but you’re not? That is sin for you. God knows what it will take to bring His
people back to Him. He is after our
eternal security, not our temporary comfort.
If suffering is the only language you will understand right now, He is
willing to risk your comfort to get your attention regarding eternal
matters. Let’s finish reading this
chapter.
Read Lamentations
2:13-22.
This is a terrifying scene. Inconsolable.
Deep grief. The prophets of Judah
were false and worthless. They didn’t
care for the people. They should have
been exerting “tough love.” They didn’t
confront the people about their sin. They
saw what was happening and let it go because they were sinful themselves. Do you care about people enough to confront
their sin? Or do you prefer to
sugar-coat your words so their sin doesn’t seem so bad? So your own sin doesn’t seem so bad. Do you repent of generalized sin? Or do you
name your sin so there is accountability to something specific? So you can see God at work in you as He
breaks down the strongholds you’ve built in your life? Sinfulness brings defeat. The enemies of Judah were bragging. God gave them victory over His people. And what does our author say in these final
verses of chapter two? Cry out to
God. Pour out your heart. Lift your hands to Him for the lives of your
children. Pray.
The famine was great.
The people resorted to cannibalism.
Priests and prophets were killed.
Bodies lined the streets. No one
escaped or survived the day of the Lord’s anger. I can only imagine that the Day of the Lord
that is coming in the last days will be just like this, if not worse.
This leads us to our first principle:
Principle 1: The Lord will not dwell where He is not
welcome.
Do you think the Holy Spirit thrives in a grumpy
temple? What attitudes are enslaving
you? Where are you falling victim to
negativity? And how can you “turn that
frown upside down”? Where do you need to
invite the Lord into your activity, and how will you do that? In what areas are you living in joy-filled
victory in spite of circumstances? With
whom can you share ideas on how to turn negativity more positive to help them
have a better outlook? Where do you need
to be calling on God?
Now let’s look at chapter 3.
Read Lamentations
3:1-20.
Lament is defined as a passionate expression of grief or
sorrow. The first 20 verses of this
chapter are a very personal expression of grief by the author. He witnessed the destruction of
Jerusalem. He is so physically grieved,
his bones feel broken. He dwells in
darkness. He is weighed down. His prayers go unheard. His path is made crooked, and he is dragged
off the path and mangled by a predator lying in wait for him. His heart is pierced. He is mocked.
Filled with bitter herbs. Deprived
of peace. His soul is downcast. Oh, so many reminders of Jesus and His sacrifice
for us! He was afflicted for you and
me. He was weighed down physically and
spiritually, having to stand as He hung on the cross just to get a breath. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” His prayers were unheard
while He took on my sin and your sin! He
was mocked. Given gall to drink, which
He refused. And when He died, splendor
was gone! A soldier pierced His side and
verified He was dead. So His bones didn’t
need to be broken. Now let’s read the
best part, right at the heart of this book:
Read Lamentations
3:21-39.
What a beautiful word: yet. In the midst of this lament. In the midst of this sorrow. In the midst of this exile. I have hope.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. His compassions are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness! Does your heart know this? Is the Lord your portion? Will you patiently wait on Him regardless of
the circumstances you find yourself in?
Will you continue to seek Him in the midst of your pain because you
understand that the Lord is good to those who put their hope in Him?
Our sovereign God brings grief, but He also shows great
compassion in alignment with His unfailing love! If He gave us all what we deserve, none of us
would be standing…or sitting…or kneeling…or prostrate. We would be dust! From the mouth of the Most High come both
calamities and good things. He is in
control. He knows how stubborn we
are. He knows what will draw us to Him.
Read Lamentations
3:40-66.
Do you recognize your sinfulness? Do you understand the price Jesus paid on the
cross? Do you acknowledge the areas of
rebellion in your heart? Do you realize
that we deserve destruction? And it is a
gift of God’s grace that we get to study His Word, and read His warnings to
Judah, and watch them suffer and go into exile, to spare us from a similar
fate? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as
your Savior and embraced the redemption every drop of His blood bought for
you? How are you praying for your “enemies?” We are told to love our enemies and to pray
for those who persecute us. Your boss at
work is not your enemy. Your local and
national government officials are not your enemies. The driver in front of you traveling below
the speed limit is not your enemy. Your
spouse is not your enemy. Unbelievers are
not your enemies. Your enemy is
spiritual. Your enemy is the devil. And Jesus has already defeated him. Jesus has conquered death, too. Is He your Savior? Yes?
Then you know where you will spend eternity, and you have nothing to
fear. So serve Christ boldly. No?
Why not? Seriously consider
accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation today.
I will share a prayer you can pray at the end of our devotional today if
you’d like to do that.
This brings us to our second principle:
Principle 2: God warns of judgment to come and pardons
those who seek Him.
How are you pursuing God in spite of suffering? When you read the Scriptures, do you take
them personally? Do you heed the
warnings found in the Bible? Are you
encouraged by what you are reading? What
have you learned from the Scriptures lately?
When you are in the midst of a trial, where do you turn for hope? When you encounter others in trying
situations, where do you point them? Are
you prepared to give an answer for the hope you have?
Let’s continue with our final division.
Read Lamentations
4:1-22.
After that glimmer of hope in chapter 3, we plunge back
into sorrow. Heartless people. Destitute.
Punishment greater than Sodom.
Luster lost. Those killed by the
sword are better off than those left to waste away from hunger. God’s wrath poured out. Kings and people thought Jerusalem was
impregnable. But God’s judgment on the
sins of Judah broke those walls down. He
scattered the people. He sent Judah into
exile. God made Babylon victorious.
Read Lamentations
5:1-22.
The sorrow continues. Judah’s inheritance has been handed
to strangers. The people are weary. Buying water and wood and bread. Bearing the punishment for their ancestors’
sins. Danger everywhere. Abuse.
Lack of respect. Back-breaking
work. No music. Mourning.
At least in verse 16, there is the realization that “we have sinned!” Sin is what has made their hearts faint. And in verse 19, recognition that the Lord
reigns forever. His throne endures from
generation to generation. Do you feel
forgotten by God? Do you feel forsaken
by God? Do you desire restoration to
God? Do you feel totally rejected by
God? We are living in a time of grace,
believe it or not. You have not been
forgotten by God. You have not been
forsaken by God. Jesus was forsaken for
three hours while He bore the sins of the world, so you could be restored to
the Father! He has not rejected
you. His arms are wide open to you. He is inviting you into the most beautiful
relationship…the most wonderful adventure…you could ever imagine. The promise of blessing from our great, faithful,
compassionate God is the gift we receive when we say “yes” to Jesus Christ’s
invitation to salvation.
And here is our final principle:
Principle 3: In spite of people’s sin, the Lord reigns
forever.
What about you reveals that the Lord reigns over your
life? What sin do you need to confess
and turn over to Jesus? Where are you
clinging to past or present hurt rather than seeking God? Are you looking for God’s fingerprints and
footprints in the midst of your pain?
Where are you experiencing God’s comfort? In what areas do you need His counsel? How will you serve Him while you wait for His
return to take you home to heaven?
When we began this devotion, I told you a story about a
cancer diagnosis. I talked about God
speaking clearly to my heart, and how I leaned on Him through a year of
treatment. This time of my life was
clearly a victory. But climbing that
mountain and reaching its apex was not the end of my story. The cancer is gone, but I still
struggle. I have walked with God in a
deeper relationship since that time. My
heart hurts more for the lost as I have grown.
The closer I get to God, the further I pull from the world and the loved
ones who still live apart from Him. That
hurts. I wonder if I’m making right
decisions about ministry. And I frequently
have to remind myself of what I learned during my cancer journey: walk with
God. One step at a time. Keep moving forward. Keep seeking Him. Keep pursuing Him. Keep praying.
Keep reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing His Word. My time on earth is a time of “exile” of
sorts. One day, Christ will return and
all things will be made new. Then we who
are born again will be restored to our true home… to the Promised Land. In the meantime, we must remember: God is sovereign in spite of your
struggle. God is compassionate to walk
with you through your pain. God is on
the throne of heaven. Is He on the
throne of your heart? Let’s pray.
Holy Father, thank you
for the trials that draw us to our knees before your throne. Thank you for the privilege of drawing near
to you. If anyone reading this doesn’t
have that privilege, would you lead them to give their heart to Jesus Christ
right now? We need you, Lord. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
If you would like to give your heart to Jesus, and accept
Him as your Savior, pray with me:
Lord Jesus, I come to
you now because I am a sinner in need of a Savior. You are that Savior. You died to pay the penalty for my sins on
the cross, and I am so grateful. I
believe that you rose from the dead on the third day, conquering death for everyone
who places their faith in you. I am
placing my faith in You for eternal salvation.
I invite you to reign over my life.
I accept your free gift of salvation.
Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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