Lamentations and Mercy

Human suffering is common to all men. Throughout all the ages, there have been those that experienced hunger, trauma, warfare, disease, death, etc. These experiences have the ability to shape who we are and how we view the world. For example, the generation that survived the Great Depression was known for holding onto EVERYTHING, because one day they might need it. Living through a period of such loss and need trained their minds to see the importance and value of even the smallest of things.

Each of us has our own personal trials to endure at some point in life. Some of those trials may be a consequence of sin (ours or another person's) or it may just be a result of the fallen nature of mankind (such as disease and death). And as we sit with the feelings of anger and despair in these trials, we have a CHOICE. God gives us free will. We get to choose how we respond, for good or for bad.

I knew a momma that lost her young son; he was a childhood friend of mine. The family was a good family: salt of the earth, kind, God-fearing people. After his death, she was unable to move forward. In order to block the pain, she took up gambling. Ultimately, it tore apart the rest of the family and destroyed her future.

Also, I knew a momma that lost her young son. The family was a good family: salt of the earth, kind, God-fearing people. After his death, she clung to the Lord and His promises as she pressed forward. In order to cope with the pain, she threw herself before the throne of God and asked for mercy. Ultimately, the family has a testimony of the goodness of God in the midst of hardship.

Pain will come. We decide how to deal with it when it does.

If anyone had the right to complain and rebel because of their situation, it was the prophet, Jeremiah. The 52-chapter book of Jeremiah contains multiple prophecies and warnings to the nation of Israel to repent and turn back to true worship of Yahweh. As promised when they didn't head his warnings, Jerusalem was ransacked and its finest young people we carried away captive. Jeremiah describes the scene vividly:

the city sat solitary, she was become as a widow; she weepeth sore in the nights, she hath none to comfort her, her friends have become her enemies; she findeth no rest; her gates are desolate; she is in bitterness

Jeremiah could have given the children of Israel a big, fat, "I told you so!" response. But it says that he was broken over the condition of his precious homeland and people.

"Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city." (Lamentations 2:11)

Then, right in the middle of Jeremiah's account of the agony of Israel and Jerusalem, he reveals his personal plight and despair in the situation, followed by the key to enduring suffering in a way that offers hope of coming out whole on the other side.

Lamentations 3 is a beautiful and encouraging as any of the Psalms. It can be even more impactful, because we are privy to the great torment that the prophet was suffering at the time of his writing. There isn't much I can add to the wisdom of Jeremiah's words, so I'm going to just leave them here...

Remembering mine affliction and my misery... My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. for the Lord will not cast off for ever. But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. (Lamentations 3 various verses)

From the posture of humility, Jeremiah reflects on his circumstances. He realized that God was in control of the good and the bad and he understood that everything God allows is to be used for our good and His glory (even when the pain seems unbearable). Then he hoped... He was able to hope because he knew God's character: merciful, compassionate, faithful, good. After Jeremiah reflected on the goodness of God, his response was to encourage us to put our sinful nature in light of His all-sufficient nature. Turn from our broken ways and rest in the Lord's redeeming power.

When we are in our night seasons, in the valley of the shadow of death, I pray we will fight like Jeremiah did to well up with praises to our Lord for His goodness and wait on His redemptive hand!