What hope do you have when you find yourself in the midst of trouble? That is where the author of Lamentations finds himself. His world has been turned upside down. And yet he still hopes in the Lord.
Yet this I call to mind
Lamentations 3:21-24 NIV
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lamentations is generally a pretty depressing book. Jerusalem had fallen, the temple was destroyed, and many of the people were in exile. And this book, as its name implies, is mostly a series of laments over the condition of Jerusalem. The exception is chapter three which is a more personal lament over the author’s condition.
The first 20 verses of this chapter express his distress over God’s punishment. And it comes along with a feeling of abandonment and hopelessness. But all is not dark. There is still a ray of hope that he clings to.
The author remembers the love of the Lord and has hope. Even in the midst of disaster for Israel as a nation, and for the author personally, he recognized that God’s love would never fail. They deserved nothing more than total destruction. But that did not happen. Quite. Jerusalem was broken and in ruins. The Temple was destroyed. The king was gone. Much of the populace was in exile. And what was left was a mere shadow of what it had been.
When All Hope Seems Gone
But God’s love remained. His compassion would never fail. It would be daily renewed. The author could count on God’s faithfulness.
The author had lost everything. Everything but the Lord. And having that, he had all he needed. So he would hope. And wait for the Lord to act.
When you find yourself in a time of tribulation. When all hope seems gone. Trust in God’s love for you. Let him be your portion; your hope in the midst of trouble. He is faithful.
Thank you, for I realize God has never fall me.
He never will. We may fail, but he does not.
Thanks for the message of hope beyond affliction. God bless you abundantly.
Jesus Christ is our savior and source of hope and peace.
Thank you, and yes, he is.