Hope in the Midst of Trouble

What hope do you have when you find yourself in the midst of trouble? That is where the author of Lamentations found himself. His world has been turned upside down. And yet he still hoped in the Lord.

Yet this I call to mind
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 3:21-24 NIV

Lamentations is generally a pretty depressing book. Jerusalem had fallen, the temple was destroyed, and many of its 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 remembered the Lord’s love and had hope. Even amid 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 challenging times. 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.