Lamentations 3

Lamentations 3:18, 21-22 ESV

so I say, "My endurance has perished;
so has my hope from the Lord."

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;

Reading this third chapter of Lamentations three thoughts come to mind. First is the steadfast love of God. In the middle of a five chapter lament over the destruction of Jerusalem we find these words, "his mercies never come to an end." In the midst of drama and trauma there is peace because God's love never ceases.

Second is the fact that in the midst of God's judgment against his people for their sin we find Jeremiah, the author of Lamentations, suffering at the hands of God's people who refuse to listen to his warnings. Remembering that at one point they threw him in a well, these words become even more meaningful:

Lamentations 3:53-55, 57 ESV

they flung me alive into the pit
and cast stones on me;
water closed over my head;
I said, 'I am lost.'
"I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;

You came near when I called on you;
you said, 'Do not fear!'

It is unfortunately true that the most painful abuse often comes from the very people who claim to be God's people. That brings me to the third thought. Jeremiah loved these people. It grieved him deeply to see the people and the city destroyed. That raises the question for me: Do I really love those around me who are living under the displeasure and even judgment of God?

It is hard to love the unlovely. It is even harder to love those who reject you, mistreat you and cover up their own sin. Father, forgive me for my lack of love and my lack of tears over their fate. Forgive me for my lack of pray and concern on their behalf. Today may I look beyond my own experience to see through your eyes of love and compassion.

By His grace,
Rick Weinert