Can you relate? I know there are many seasons where I could vehemently say, “I am the woman who has seen affliction!”<\/p>\n
In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah was greatly afflicted because God’s people were experiencing God’s wrath due to their idolatry and lack of repentance. In verses 2-20, he recounts and laments the details and depths of his suffering.<\/p>\n
This reminds us that it’s okay to tell God exactly how we feel about the affliction He allows in our lives or those of the people we love.<\/p>\n
Do you need to pour out your heart and lament\u00a0to God now?<\/strong><\/p>\n “BUT THIS”-<\/strong><\/p>\n When pain and suffering threatened to take Jeremiah\u00a0into the depths of despair, he paused to recall the truth about who God is: “but this I\u00a0call to mind.<\/strong>” Recalling the truth about God’s character was the only path back to the hope he had lost in verse 18: “my endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.<\/em>” Friend, recalling is our path back to hope too!<\/p>\n\n\t This shift in his thinking doesn’t mean that verses 2-20 are no longer valid.<\/p>\n It’s both\/and.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Life can be devastating and downright confusing, but<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0God<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is still who He claims to be and is still actively working on our behalf.<\/p>\n What attributes of God bring comfort and hope to your heart?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “Hesed”<\/strong><\/p>\n “Steadfast love” doesn’t fully capture the meaning behind the Hebrew word “hesed<\/em>.”\u00a0<\/p>\n “Hesed<\/em>“<\/em>\u00a0is an essential attribute of God used to convey the actions God takes in loving his people; no single word in English fully captures the meaning. We find steadfast love, compassion, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, lovingkindness, and grace used to convey the meaning throughout the Bible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t The tone of Jeremiah’s thinking shifted as he recalled God’s enduring, covenant love; a love that is consistently\u00a0extended and placed on underserving people.<\/p>\n Nothing we go through can separate us from this love (Romans 8:38)! Even God’s discipline is evidence of His love in action meant to lead us back to Himself.<\/p>\n Sweet friend, if your circumstances make you wonder if God’s love for you is on pause, remember that\u00a0“hesed<\/em>” is God’s covenant\u00a0love in action-it’s ever present and actively pursuing us; it never ends.\u00a0<\/p>\n Will you ask God to help you fully know and\u00a0rest in His steadfast love for you?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Hebrew word for “mercies” is “rachamim,” which is derived from the Hebrew word for “womb.” It implies the instinctive nurturing love a mother has for her child.\u00a0<\/p>\n God’s mercies are\u00a0plural and inexhaustible, pouring\u00a0over His children\u00a0like\u00a0a river that never runs dry. The mercy I\u00a0feel toward others runs dry quickly, especially when I’m trying to get three young boys out the door for school each morning,\u00a0but God’s mercies towards His children never end. He doesn’t get depleted, exhausted, or irritated when dealing with us.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t How have you experienced God’s nurturing comfort, and compassion amid hardship?<\/strong><\/p>\n A fresh supply of God’s mercies awaits us every morning because God’s character is unchanging.\u00a0Loving, merciful, and faithful<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is who God is, and His character is never dependent on anything we do.<\/p>\n I love this quote from Spurgeon:<\/p>\n “God has not forgotten us.\u00a0The very breath in our nostrils is a proof of his goodness to us; let us, therefore, dear friends, still hope for yet further favors from him.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\t Sweet friend, we can look forward to daily renewal, no matter what happened the day before. God’s mercies are fresh; His steadfast love is pursuing and working for our good and His glory. It’s just who God is! He is faithful to His character and to His children.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our complaints may not be the same as the weeping prophet’s, but the way up from despair and darkness is the same. Lamenting what hurts and recalling God’s character is the pathway to renewed hope. And when you and I fail to grasp these truths and go to bed in despair-praise God! We can try again in the morning-His mercy is new!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Click here to let me pray these verses over you!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\t You May Also Like:<\/strong><\/p>\n When God’s Love Feels Hidden by Your Hardship<\/a><\/p>\n Your Shattered Pieces are Being Made New<\/a><\/p>\n Shane & Shane<\/p>\n Listen Now!<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t CeCe Winans<\/p>\n Listen Now!<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Tauren Wells<\/p>\n\n\t\tLamentations 3:21\n\t<\/h1>\n\t
\n\t\tLamentations 3:22a\n\t<\/h1>\n\t
\n\t\tLamentations 3:22b\n\t<\/h1>\n\t
\n\t\tLamentations 3:23\n\t<\/h1>\n\t
\n\t\tMy Favorite Related Worship Songs\n\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
![\"greatisthyfaithfulnessshaneandshane\"](\"https:\/\/figleavesandthelamb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/greatisthyfaithfulnessshaneandshane.jpg\" "\\"greatisthyfaithfulnessshaneandshane\\"")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\tGreat is Thy Faithfulness<\/h3>\n
![\"goodnessofgodcece\"](\"https:\/\/figleavesandthelamb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/goodnessofgodcece.jpg\" "\\"goodnessofgodcece\\"")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\tGoodness of God<\/h3>\n
![\"joyinthemorning\"](\"https:\/\/figleavesandthelamb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/joyinthemorning.jpg\" "\\"joyinthemorning\\"")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\tJoy in the Morning<\/h3>\n