Traditionally Lamentations was written by Jeremiah not long after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple and carried most of the inhabitants into exile, leaving only the poorest there. The book is comprised of 5 songs of grief and lament about the state of the land and its people, written in acrostic form using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet to begin each verse. Song 3 is the highpoint, where grief is mixed with the hope in God’s character.
Lamentations 3:19-24:
{ז Zayin}19 Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. 20 I continually remember them and have become depressed. 21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: {ח Khet}22 Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! 24 I say: The Lord is my portion, I will put my hope in Him.
Helpful Thoughts
1. When we choose to focus on the bad, we will become bitter and depressed; we can choose to change our focus by asking ourselves “What is God’s truth in the situation?” [i.e. God is still in control, God loves me, God has a plan...]
2. Meditation on God’s nature and character reminds us of His faithful love, mercy, and compassion. God always is in control.
3. We can never exhaust the supply of God’s love and faithfulness; they are new every morning!
4. In the midst of his difficult situation, Jeremiah wrote out his feelings; he did not try to hide them and then shared them back to God in prayer. This is a great model for us as well; name your feelings and share with the Father. He already knows, but naming them helps us to process and trust them to Him.
5. God uses the difficulties and hardships, even those that are a result of our own poor choices to train and shape us into what He desires. God does not waste our sorrows and tears.
6. God does not delight in the suffering of His children. He is not distant, but near us and in us by His Holy Spirit. His faithful love, mercy, and grace are always there.
7. As we learn to “seek Him first,” we learn that “He is our portion” and all we need. Remember the Cross.
