Lamentations – Page 16 – I'm Following Jesus

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, August 25, 2017
Chapters: Lamentations 1-2
Message: Comfort Through Grief

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Lamentations contains five chapters, the timeline for these events took place approximately 588 BC. It was written by Jeremiah to the Jews who were captive in Babylon, the purpose of the book was to get the Jews to repent and restore their relationship with God. What we are to learn from the book is that God is faithful in both judgment and mercy. “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22,23.

Lament, to feel deep sorrow and grief, so much that nothing is of comfort, all you feel is pain in your heart, soul, and spirit. This is the way Jeremiah felt when things began to settle after the fall of Jerusalem, he gets kind of angry that no one feels the same as he does.

“Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.” – Lamentations 1:3-5.

“for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions:” True Christians see all the destruction of their once godly nations and it angers and grieves them because no matter how much they try it gets worse. When we are feeling such deep sorrow, it can anger us when no one seems to care about the things that are going on, it can even feel as though God is against us too. If we are not careful, depression, bitterness, and hate creep in. If you ever wonder why the suicide rate is so high, it is because hurting people cry out every day, but feel as though no one hears them. We must trust and remember that God is always with us, He is not against us, and He loves us. “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.” – Psalm 18:1-4.

Jeremiah understood that the judgment was due to the fact that they turned their back on God, what he did not understand was why no one seemed to care. He fusses at them for not feeling as bad as he was feeling.

“Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.” – Lamentations 1:8-12,16.

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” Society has developed a me, myself, and I mentality, and this too is the case of some Christians. They have twisted the Scriptures and in some cases eliminated them all together to make it seem as though you have right to live the way you want as long as you are saved. Let me tell you, you might be saved, but that does not mean you will not face consequences for your actions before you meet Jesus face to face. The blind leading the blind, that is who they are and they will be the ones left trying to find their Comforter. “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” – Luke 6:39,40.

No matter how strong our faith in God there does come times where we start to wonder if He will ever change the situation. Jeremiah understands all the destruction that took place was in God’s hands, he pleads with them to return to God, and then turns his grief into a question for God.

“How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.” – Lamentations 2:1,7-9

“her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.” When faced with circumstances beyond our control, especially when there seems to be no end to them, they tend to cloud our faith in God. Quite often, God may step back a bit to allow us to think on these things, but He is always with us, He is just waiting for our faith to show up. And it is perfectly fine to ask God questions, many times the only way we can draw closer to Him is by grief and sorrow, and while He does not want to see any of us suffer, He knows that we are unlikely to seek His presence when there are not circumstances. When we seek answers from God, we may or may not find the answers to our questions, but we can find peace, hope, and joy, in an out of the midst of our circumstances. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.” – Lamentations 1:16.

Today’s Prayer: God, I do not know anyone who loves to feel pain and sorrow, and it simply does nothing for our morale either, but whatever You allow us to go through You have a reason for it. The only way we can truly be at peace and find comfort and an end to the suffering is through You. Lord, we need You, so many people are full of sorrow and do not knew where to go, break through the door, open their hearts to see that You are their help. Great things always come to those who endure their affliction with You as they draw closer to You and trust You. Give us your power, wisdom, and strength to increase our faith, and let us see You do great things in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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