Lamentations 3

Have you ever had your world come crumbling down, and everything you had hoped for is gone; when all you see is darkness, and every step feels heavy as though your feet have been chained; when you tried to cry and shout, but no words came out; when you feel as though your heart’s been pierced, and you find yourself walking alone?

Prophet Jeremiah penned down his anguish in this chapter, seeing his prophecy becoming reality right before his very eyes. He was lamenting, grieving.

Grief is a very normal emotional process that we all will go through. We might grief over the loss of a job, a good opportunity, the death of a loved one, or some other things. Jeremiah grieved for Jerusalem, for Israel, seeing the state that it has become. Do we also grieve over the state of our (spiritual) life?

However, grief must be coupled with hope; otherwise we will find ourselves sinking deeper and deeper into that bottomless pit of depression.

In this same chapter, we read about the prophet’s hope in God.

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
(Lamentations 3:21 - 24)

The prophet recalled to his mind the Lord’s mercies, therefore he has hope. The amazing thing about being Christians is our hope in God - we know that He will never forsake us, and that even if all else fails, we know that He will bring us back to our heavenly home at the end, and this brings assurance to us and gives us a living hope.

(However, food for thought - how do we recall to our minds the words and promises of God, during times of need, if we do not first read His Word daily?)

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
(Lamentations 3:25 - 28)

During these tough times, we must also learn to wait for Him, and to seek Him. In other words, we must constantly strive to be nearer and nearer to God. We seek not just for comfort, or peace, but we also seek a sort of understanding; we seek to understand God more and more.

        “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
         But now my eye sees You. (Job 42:5)

And during these times, it is probably best to be quiet. Have our quiet time with God alone. Meditate on His Words. Pray. You may be amazed at the still, small voice that has been trying to reach you while you had been buzzing around.

For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies. (Lamentations 3:31-32)

So while we remain in the rubbles and ruins and broken pieces (whether due to our wrongdoings, or as a trial from God), let us learn from Jeremiah to focus on God, and to hope in Him, while we seek Him and wait for Him in quietness.

Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the LORD;
Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven. (Lamentations 3:40-41)