Brimming With Hope

Lamentations 3:31

Today we look at the “hope” portion of the painful, hopeful waiting we read about in Lamentations 3:28-30. As we have seen, waiting can sometimes be physically or emotionally painful, or in Jeremiah’s case, both. I don’t know of anyone who enjoys waiting, even when Who we are waiting on is the One Who is always faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

But for those who do remain patient and faithful and submit to God’s will, it is difficult to find a more joyous moment then when the waiting period is over. Don’t get me wrong, there can be a lot of joy in waiting, but once it is over, and you have remained faithful (not perfect necessarily, but faithful), you experience great joy. You also experience your reward, which perhaps is not the reward you expected, but what God had planned for you all along.

In Lamentations 3:31, Jeremiah writes eight simple words, but eight words brimming with hope! After encouraging us to keep going while we have to wait, he tells us why we should faithfully wait: “For the Lord will not cast off forever.” As we have seen, during times of waiting it can feel like there is no end in sight. These eight words remind us and encourage us that there is.

We have seen this before, but it is important to remember that the Lord has a purpose for everything He does. Psalm 139:16 tells us that He has planned everything out from before we were born until the day we die. This includes waiting. It is important to remember that and remind ourselves of that regularly while we are waiting. It is pivotal to having hope.

God will bring us out of the difficult times. He will not leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He will not cast us off forever. When you are struggling, when you feel alone, when you are devoid of hope, cling to this truth. This truth brings hope.

The God we serve is with us every step of the way, even when we don’t feel His presence. The devil will try to convince you otherwise, but we serve a God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). His promises are forever true, and we can cling to those promises, including the promise that He will not cast us off forever.

Brother and sister, if we feel devoid of hope, claim His promises. Remember these hopeful words that Jeremiah wrote through God’s leading. Do not let the devil convince you that Christ is not kneeling beside you as you cry out to Him. He is with you, and He is catching every tear (Psalm 56:8).

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