Hope In the Lord
(NRSV) Lam 3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
If you have known me long, you realize that hope is a recurring theme in my writing. So why would I read Lamentations if I am seeking hope?
I read Lamentations because it is one of the sixty six books of the Bible and, as Paul said in his letter to Timothy (NRSV) 2 Tim 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Therefore, I include all of the Bible in my studies.
Lamentations is not an easy book to read. We find the prophet Jeremiah walking through the remains of his beloved Jerusalem, once a vibrant city, but now desolate and in ruins.
In the book of Jeremiah we see a young man called by God to proclaim His word to a people who had turned their backs on God. Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet” because the message he had to deliver was truly almost more than he could bear.
During Jeremiah’s formative years, he was in training to be a priest having been born into the tribe of Levi. When God called him to be a prophet instead, Jeremiah protested, but ultimately acquiesced. It is during Jeremiah’s lament over Jerusalem that he acknowledges God’s love and faithfulness.
I am thankful for the words of the prophet who spent so much of his life literally weeping over the separation of his people from God, but who could also proclaim that God’s love was steadfast and new every morning.
On this, another cold day in Arkansas where more freezing rain has been predicted, I encourage each of you to take a moment to find your hope in the God whose “mercies are new every morning.”
In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
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