Hope Through Affliction

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King James Bible StudyAnd when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Chapters: Lamentations 3-5
Message: Hope Through Affliction

Hello My Friend,

We know the verse, we believe the verse, and we even sing the verse, [Jeremiah 33:3  Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.] What happens when we call on Him, and He does not answer us? Well, God always answers our prayers, often, He simply tells us to just trust Him. We may not understand everything that God places in our lives, we can trust that He knows what He is doing, He always has a plan and a purpose, [II Corinthians 4:17-18  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.]

[While we look not at the things which are seen,] Now, that is an understatement, what we see is often clouded by a mountain of doubts and fears brought on by the affliction we face. When we are going through trials it can bring a lot of mixed emotions, especially if there seems to be no end. Oh, we can keep our head up for a while, but the longer we are afflicted, the lower our head hangs. When we have done everything in our physical power to do and still see no relief, that is when we begin wondering if God even hears our prayers. Jeremiah had a very heavy heart, he continues to express his deep sorrow and grief over the state of Jerusalem, recalling his time in the dungeon, his feeling of being all alone, and as though God was not even hearing him.

[Lamentations 3:1-3,7-8,17-20  I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.  2  He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.  3  Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 7  He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.  8  Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 17  And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.  18  And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:  19  Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.  20  My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.]

[he shutteth out my prayer.] It is easy to see God when things are going well, but it is almost impossible to see Him when we just keep getting pounded with one trial after another. That is when we need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and remind ourselves that God never leaves nor forsakes us. This is all an act of the devil, who placing those doubts in our heads. Let me tell you, the closer you walk with Christ the more vile you are going to feel, wondering why He is so good to you in the first place. And that is exactly the humbleness God uses to show us that He is our hope, in fact, our only hope. That is what Jeremiah realized.

[Lamentations 3:21-32  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  22  It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  25  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  26  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.  27  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.  28  He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.  29  He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30  He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 31  For the Lord will not cast off for ever:  32  But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.]

[because his compassions fail not.] As Jeremiah was contemplates his afflictions he began to realize something, things could have been a lot worse had it not been for God’s mercy and compassion to save those who wanted to be saved. He also reminded himself that while God allows grief, He also gives hope through that grief. God has much more compassion that we realize. Do you realize that God could completely wipe out this planet in the blink of an eye? His mercy is the reason why Jesus has not returned yet, [II Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.]

Think about it, we are representatives of God, what type of life are we living that reflects that? If what we are doing is worse than the world, you can be sure that judgment will come. Jeremiah reminds the Jews that they are where they are because their sins were worse than those living in the world.

[Lamentations 4:11-17  The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.  12  The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.  13  For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,  14  They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.  15  They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.  16  The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.  17  As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.]

[watched for a nation that could not save us.] This is the problem, and we are all guilty of this, expecting man to come in and save us, instead of trusting God to get us through them. While this country continues to face the fallout of a pandemic that does not want to end, more and more people are crying out to the government for help. And what will they do? Tax the ones who are fortunate enough to work until they have nothing, while they all bask in their luxuries. Wake up people! Our hope is not in man, it is in God, and we are the ones who are to show them that through our hope in Him, [I Peter 3:14-16  But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;  15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:  16  Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.]

Since we live in the midst of a wicked world we can expect that we are going to get caught up in judgments that God has placed on the nation that turns His back on Him. Now, as Jeremiah ponders the destruction of Jerusalem, he laments over the state of their captivity, but pleas with God for the return of His mercy.

[Lamentations 5:1-4,17-22  Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.  2  Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.  3  We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.  4  We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. 17  For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.  18  Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.  19  Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.  20  Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?  21  Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.  22  But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.]

Think about all the suffering that an unsaved person or even a person that has backslidden faces and how hopeless they feel. We cannot escape affliction, it is inevitable, but we can endure it if we keep our eyes on Christ. Jesus endured more suffering than anyone here on earth, but through that suffering came redemption, reconciliation, and resurrection for all who believe in Him, [Romans 8:31-32,36-39  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.] Amen!

Today’s Prayer: God, Of all the people that have come and gone in the world, You had a purpose for every one of them. Sadly, not everyone fulfills that purpose and not only do they suffer judgment, we suffer the repercussions of their judgment. While we do not want to face affliction, often You place difficult situations in our lives in order to show us that You do have a purpose for us and that through our suffering true joy and happiness will come out of it. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, mercy, and grace. Strengthen us, and help us to look to You for hope out of every situation, and do what is necessary on our part to be a witness and a testimony that You do hear us, and are our hope. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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