Hope

Lamentations 3:19-24

We have focused on the pain and suffering of Jeremiah up to this point. He was a suffering, obedient servant. He felt alone, forsaken, and depressed. If the chapter ended in verse 18 then it would be even more tragic. But what makes this chapter so special is the hope that Jeremiah finds in the darkness. Thankfully the Bible records this hope for us to bring us encouragement when we pass through darkness.

We begin to see a change of tone from Jeremiah in verse 21 of Lamentations 3, but let us look at the two verses leading up to it. He asks God to remember all the pain and suffering he went through. He was afflicted and roaming, which points to the fact that he was hated, abused, and was unwanted. “Wormwood” and “gall” mean a poisonous bitterness stressing the fact that he was suffering through spiritual darkness. He remembers all he has talked about previously and he feels small, dejected and hopeless (verse 20). But then something changes. He begins to remember (or is reminded) of something that gives him hope (verse 21). The following verses show us what that something was.

The Lord is merciful, and because He is so merciful, Jeremiah, and Israel, will not be consumed. Israel had done great wickedness for centuries (just read through 1 and 2 Kings), yet God will spare them. Jeremiah was obedient, but he was still a sinner. None of us deserve the mercy and grace of God, and Jeremiah recognized that. The Lord’s mercies are a undeserved blessing for all of us.

The Lord continues to be compassionate towards His people despite all their sin. In Ezekiel 18:31-32, the Lord cries out for Israel to turn from their wickedness. He tells Israel, “I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies…therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32). Jeremiah recalls the mercies and compassions of God, and he notes that they are new every morning. He is faithful every morning. Lamentations 3:23 is a very popular verse, but its power is reduced if you read it without the context of the previous verses. Jeremiah is broken, but God’s faithfulness and mercies, which he notes are new every morning, has given him hope.

Few have had to deal with the amount of pain, suffering, loneliness and depression that Jeremiah has, and yet he could still find hope! He found his hope in God and His goodness. Do you feel as though God is good? Do you think He is merciful and faithful when you are alone or suffering from depression? I will be honest, I tend to think the opposite, and I think that is exactly what the devil wants us to believe. The devil wants us to believe that God has given up on us or that He doesn't care. Let's not fall into the devil's trap! Rather, let’s follow the example of Jeremiah instead of allowing how we feel dictate who God is in our minds.

Jeremiah was wallowing in his sufferings but then recalled who God truly is. He was not ignoring Jeremiah’s prayer (3:8). He was not lying in wait and then attacking Jeremiah because He wanted him to hurt (3:10). Jeremiah remembers that is not who God is. God is merciful, compassionate, and faithful! He recalls his experiences of God’s mercy, compassion, and faithfulness. This example is one we should mirror, to recall who God is, not how we feel He is while we are suffering. He never changes (James 1:17). His mercies are new every morning.

There is so much more to cover in this chapter, but this is the first step of hope that Jeremiah experienced. His circumstances did not change, but he now has something, or rather Someone, to cling to. This chapter and these verses are in the Bible for a reason, and Jeremiah suffered for a reason. We will not always know what God’s reasons are, and Jeremiah surely did not know that his suffering and finding hope would be used to strengthen and encourage believers like you and me a few thousand years later, but God did. Just remember, there is always a reason for suffering and pain, and there is always a faithful, merciful, and compassionate God that we can hope in!

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