Lamentations 3:19-39
Hey New Life,
Happy Tuesday! I'm still processing the blessings from ONEDAY and Lord's Day Worship this past weekend! As we start the week, we get to look at one of my favorite passages today (Lamentations 3:19-39) from the Daily Bible devotional!
Lamentations is one of the saddest books of Scripture. Judah, the only surviving tribe of Israel, has been sent into exile under Babylonian captivity as the curse for their disobedience. Friends have been separated. Loved ones have been stripped from one another. Many have been taken from their homes and brought to a foreign land as slaves.
This book recounts the tragedy of this exile, while wrestling with all its brokenness with the Lord. Right before our passage, we see the writer saying in v. 18, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." The writer is undone and brought to the end of himself.
I'm sure we can relate. I'm sure there have been times of tragedy and pain in our lives that have been so great that we feel like we can no longer endure and our hope has perished. There is much grace found in this book, along with many of the psalms. God welcomes our laments, complaints, doubts, and tears. He wants us to bring all of ourselves to Him.
In the center of this book, we see our passage today, which starts with the writer asking the Lord to remember his afflictions, wanderings, wormwood, and gall (which represent bitter suffering). Then, he focuses on the steadfast love, goodness, faithfulness, and compassion of the LORD. He trusts that the LORD is with them and will be faithful to His promises through deliverance one day.
How are we able to have this hope and faith? It's through seeing God's steadfast love, goodness, and compassion embodied and fulfilled in Christ. He became the ultimate Suffering Servant to deliver us. He became the ultimate Afflicted One, so that by His wounds, we are healed. He took on our sin, shame, and tears. He became the Man of Sorrows on the cross. He was exiled, so we may be brought in. He received the wrath of God, so we may receive the steadfast love of God. He drank the wine vinegar, mixed with gall (Matthew 27:34), taking on the bitter suffering of Calvary to give us life and joy for eternity.
Therefore, dearly beloved, in your pain, tears, and hardship, cling to the steadfast love of the Lord which will never cease. He will never leave nor forsake us. The cross guarantees it.
In Christ,
Pastor Tim
