Day 238 – Lamentations 3-5

Talking Points

• Even swirling in deep despair, disgust, and regret over sin and its consequences, there is hope! Jeremiah knows who God is, and he finds sure hope in Him alone. “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21).
  
  So, what is it about God that gives Jeremiah this hope? It is the consistent truth: “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (3:22-23). Read that description again. What a God! Indeed, there is hope in Him!

• Complete surrender to God only happens when there is complete trust in God. Truly knowing God, Jeremiah, even in the direst of situations, could rest securely — even hopefully — in God.
• As difficult as the description of God’s judgment and vengeance toward sin is to read, it draws us into a deeper adoration of our sinless Savior, Jesus, who took God’s wrath for us.

Thoughts

“Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD” (Lamentations 3:40).

Still a faithful prophet, Jeremiah, in the midst of great suffering, says that no man has a place to complain about his circumstances in view of his sin (3:39). Then, he calls the people to join him in examining their ways. Jeremiah knows what we all know deep down — we don’t deserve God’s mercy; we’ve earned His wrath. And, when we slow down and actually probe into the uncomfortable recesses of our darkest actions, we will find our need to return to the LORD. It is a good thing to examine ourselves.

This is the truth that Jeremiah knew which brought him hope; it’s the same truth we cling to today, as we trust in the everlasting God: “Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). Our gracious God has left room for repentance. He freely pardons. We can try our ways against Him and return to Him. What a loving, patient, merciful God who allows us to examine ourselves.