Thursday, September 8, 2016

September 8th: Lamentations 3:37-5:22 ~ Jeannine

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Lamentations 3:37-5:22

Lamentations 3:52-57 stood out to me today...

My enemies, whom I have never harmed,
    hunted me down like a bird.
They threw me into a pit
    and dropped stones on me.
The water rose over my head,
    and I cried out, “This is the end!”
But I called on your name, Lord,
    from deep within the pit.
You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
    Hear my cry for help!”
Yes, you came when I called;
    you told me, “Do not fear.”

I don't know if you've every felt the way Jeremiah does here, but I have an idea of how he must have felt.  I have had to deal with feeling like those who I had loved (not enemies as in this case) were casting me into a pit. I've been where it feels like it doesn't matter what you do, there is no good outcome and you will be cast out.  That feeling of betrayal.  I can't say that I am completely healed from the damage of the "dropped stones" yet.  Sometimes I still feel like I'm calling to God from deep in that pit. But I keep holding on the those 3 words - "Do Not Fear" - and know that someday all the damage caused by the "enemies" will be gone and I will be refined by the fire.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year PassageObadiah 1, 2 Kings 25:22-26, Jeremiah 40:7-41:18

3 comments:

Conrad said...

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

Many times we don't even realize what our habits are. It is only when we take time to look at our lives under the microscope that we see what we are doing. like the verse says, we need to return to the Lord.

Nathan said...

Lamentations 4:16
The Lord himself has scattered them,
and he no longer helps them.
People show no respect for the priests
and no longer honor the leaders.

What a depressing situation the Israelites were in, they had rebelled long enough and God had enough. We will also reach a point where we will have to give account for ourselves to God, and we can't simply ask for forgiveness and move on. I pray that I make changes now, before its too late.

Tammy said...

So thankful we have hope, even when in the pit!

4:17 We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.

Though obviously other people can help us in some sense, God is the only One we can rely on, and is the true source of all our strength.