My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”– Lamentations 3:49-57
The Story of Jeremiah
Have you ever been to a funeral? Well, we are dropping into the middle on one in today’s passage, but it wasn’t for a person. We see a mourning for the death of hopes, dreams, and plans that had been built for years and now lay in ruins.
The temple was gone. Israel was destroyed. “We are cut off,” they declared! Today, this declaration might sound more like, “what’s happened to my life?!”
We’ve all had these moments, where everything either feels gone and hopeless, and we’re left in suffering. The beauty Jeremiah offers us is a front row seat to wrestling down the infinite questions of pain and suffering. Whether we sit in the pain and suffering of our own failures and mistakes or in the circumstances of something beyond our control, there is hope. In the midst of the tears, in the wailing of sorrow, in the aftermath of loss, Jeremiah reminds us:
- “From the lowest pit. You have heard my voice…”
- “You drew near…”
- “Do not fear!”
Reflect
How has God helped you wrestle your pain, sorrow, and deepest fears? Do you believe God can handle the places in your life that feel like they’ve been destroyed?
Pray
God, You show us in Your Word today that even in my deepest despair, my unknown, my pain, my hurts, that You hear me and draw near to me. Lord, may I hear Your voice today in my own life saying, “do not fear.” I surrender all to You, Lord. Amen.