Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Year 9, Day 120: Lamentations 3


Theological Commentary: Click Here



This chapter feels a bit like a rollercoaster.  Jeremiah laments frequently about his circumstances.  He feels abandoned.  He feels like wasting away unjustly.  He feels like his enemies lie in wait against him like a bear of lion.  He feels like his escape has been blocked at every turn.  He is trapped, and it feels oppressing and dangerous.



These dark feelings turn Jeremiah to the truth.  Rather than wallow in his circumstances, Jeremiah finds hope.  He knows that he cannot stay in the darkness, even though it is where life has led him.  He seeks truth.



The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.  This is a profound statement.  Remember what Jeremiah has endured.  Remember what Jeremiah has complained about in this passage!  If the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, then the steadfast love of the Lord was present in the midst of Jeremiah’s suffering.  The reason that this is powerful is because it gives witness to Jeremiah’s mindset. 



Yes, he is complaining.  Yes, he is lamenting.  Yes, he is recognizing that his life has ad some serious low points.  But he is not blaming God.  He has not lost faith.  He recognizes that where the valley of the shadow of death resides, God walks with us through it.



In the midst of his suffering, Jeremiah talks about how good the Lord is. Though the Lord bring grief, He does it through compassion.  In the midst of his misery, Jeremiah attests that the Lord has taken up his cause.  Great is His faithfulness, even in the midst of suffering!



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