HOPEISM

Day 58

Lamentations

Well, I guess if there was ever any question of whether or not God keeps his heavenly word, this book answers it.  Yes.  When God warns what will happen, you best not do what he warned about not doing because the punishment he also warned about will happen!  Ha!

More seriously, God's wrath is terrible.  God does judge, and render judgment.  The people wept because they felt God abandoned them, yet they were the ones who abandoned him. 

Lamentations 2:17
The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago.  He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes.

Yet even in that, God is righteous and is good to those who hope in him...

Lamentations 3:19-26
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall....Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him, it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:31
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.

Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine our was and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

I kinda expected this book to be a total downer.  And it is because of the destruction.   But still I find HOPEISM.  More than I expected.  Maybe I'm missing something... I guess in my own way, I've felt like I was living Lamentations for a few years now.  The destruction of autism, seizures, my son's declining health -- just so much devastation in all of that.   I remember all those afflictions.  The choking of seizures, the sound of shattered teeth.  I can taste the bitterness of them still.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail...

I'm sure the author meant to say HOPEISM there.  And NEVER QUIT.  Two words I have clung to for so long now, and now I know where they came from!  The Lamentations of my "Life with Autism!"

That comforts me so much!  His compassions never quit.  They are new every morning.

So many times I've fallen into the trap of thinking it was his challenges that have been new every morning.  But no.  His compassions through those challenges have been new every morning.  His unfailing love for me and my son has been new each and every morning. 

I have yet to be consumed by those challenges because indeed, great is his faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:31
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.

Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

That's always a hard one to swallow...when we're in a period of seeming silence from God, when we feel we are being punished by God as they were in this book -- it's hard to have to stop and look within to see if there is any cleansing of our own sins to deal with.  We may think we're cast off forever, he may indeed bring grief for our disobedience, but he will show compassion, --so great is his unfailing love for us!

I just marvel at that.

I cannot count how many time I've been in Lamentations 3:55 --- I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit.  You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear."

No matter how deep the pit you feel you are in -- God will always, always, always, be deeper.  In the depth of that darkness, you can cry out to him and he will answer, even if in but the faintest of whispers, "Do not fear."

This book ends with Lamentations 5:20-22
Why do you always forget us?  Why do you forsake us so long?  Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.


I think God asks us the same questions...

Why do you always forget me?
Why do you forsake me for so long?
Restore me to your country, your community, your church, your home, your heart, that I may return.
Revive your faith, unless you have utterly rejected me and are angry with me beyond measure.

Retribution

Day 57

Jeremiah 35-52

Resuming the journey...  I have fallen seriously behind in this "Bible in 90 Days" -- so much so that it's more like "The Bible in 390 Days!"   But that's ok, the important thing is that I'm picking up right where I left off -- in Jeremiah.  I know I should do a little back tracking first, but it's hard...  I'm an impatient person and when I read this book, I just want to say, "Hurry and be done with it already!"

I guess finally God did get down to it...

Jeremiah 39 is about the fall of Jerusalem.... Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard and the word of the Lord came to him...

Jeremiah 39:16
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:  I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity.  At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.  But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear.  I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.

That comforts m me on many levels - so often when we try to live the right way and do as God commands, we find ourselves held captive to negativity or shunning.  All Jeremiah was doing throughout this book is being obedient to God, giving messages from him, but unfortunately not many want to hear, or heed, the truth.  It's comforting to be reminded that while God never promised obedience would be easy or without "confinement" - he did promise we wouldn't be alone and that he would deliver us.   As a Navy Mom -- I also find comfort in that scripture!

Sometimes it's us who put the chains on ourselves...  Like me with this journey....  I've let so many other things distract me, I've let the chains of thinking I'm too far behind, why bother now, stop me many a day.  I've let the chains of misplaced priorities leave no time to do this.  I was really encouraged to read Jeremiah 40 on this day that I freed myself from those chains and dove back in...

Jeremiah 40 is titled simply, "Jeremiah Freed."
I like that.  Perhaps I should title this, "Michelle Freed," in this first entry in like forever...

Jeremiah 40:4
"But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists...."

I just love that. 

Free me from my chains, Lord!

Free Brandon from the chains of seizures!

No matter how the chains got there, who put them there, others or you...  God can free you from them.

God always promises that he will deliver us...

In Jeremiah 51:56 it says:
"For the Lord is a God of retribution; he will repay in full."

I think that's a good way to end this day's reading. And a pretty good summary of Jeremiah, to me.  God will repay disobedience in full, and he will repay obedience in full. We simply have to decide which category we want to be in!