Scripture
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.[a]
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends![b]
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:
Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the Lord’s demands.
Let them lie face down in the dust,
for there may be hope at last.
Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
and accept the insults of their enemies.
For no one is abandoned
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
For he does not enjoy hurting people
or causing them sorrow.
If people crush underfoot
all the prisoners of the land,
if they deprive others of their rights
in defiance of the Most High,
if they twist justice in the courts—
doesn’t the Lord see all these things?
Who can command things to happen
without the Lord’s permission?
Does not the Most High
send both calamity and good?
Then why should we, mere humans, complain
when we are punished for our sins?
Instead, let us test and examine our ways.
Let us turn back to the Lord.
Let us lift our hearts and hands
to God in heaven and say,
“We have sinned and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven us.
“You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down,
and slaughtered us without mercy.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud
so our prayers cannot reach you.
You have discarded us as refuse and garbage
among the nations.
“All our enemies
have spoken out against us.
We are filled with fear,
for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.”
Tears stream from my eyes
because of the destruction of my people!
My tears flow endlessly;
they will not stop
until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
My heart is breaking
over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.
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.”
Lord, you have come to my defense;
you have redeemed my life.
You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord.
Be my judge, and prove me right.
You have seen the vengeful plots
my enemies have laid against me.
Lord, you have heard the vile names they call me.
You know all about the plans they have made.
My enemies whisper and mutter
as they plot against me all day long.
Look at them! Whether they sit or stand,
I am the object of their mocking songs.
Pay them back, Lord,
for all the evil they have done.
Give them hard and stubborn hearts,
and then let your curse fall on them!
Chase them down in your anger,
destroying them beneath the Lord’s heavens.
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Lamentations 3:21-22
The other day, I was shopping at the store when I noticed something strange. All of the colors of everything looked at were very dim and distorted. I was certainly not interested in purchasing anything that was strangely colored. Then, I realized I had my sunglasses on. After laughing at myself, I took my sunglasses off, and everything I saw looked different. The colors that I saw were bright and beautiful. I simply had the wrong perspective. It’s true, isn’t it, that sometimes what we need is a change in perspective? This is exactly what Scripture teaches. When life becomes difficult and unclear, sometimes what we need is a new perspective. We need to look to God and remember that He is in control and working in our lives.
This reminder to look to God during difficulties is best seen as we study the way Jeremiah responded to his pain and hardships as he served as God’s prophet. The beginning of Lamentations begins on a bleak note, saying things such as, “I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is” (verse 17), but it does not end there. Verses 21 and 22 bring new light and life to the chapter. “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,” the verses say. Do you notice the shift from the previous verses to verses 21 and 22? Suddenly, the focus shifts from trials and hardships to God and His faithfulness. This makes all of the difference.
Are you feeling stuck in your circumstances? Do you find yourself focusing on everything that seems to be going wrong rather than the things that are going right? It’s time to shift our perspectives and look to God and everything that He is doing in our lives. When we look to Him, we are reminded of everything He is doing and how He is working. We look back on and remember all of the things that He has done for us. We are reminded that His mercies are new every morning. We put or focus on the hope we have in Him.
Moving toward action
Maybe today you are facing a difficult circumstance, and what you need is a fresh perspective. God wants to hear your struggles. Pull out your journal or a notebook, and write a prayer to God similar to Jeremiah’s. Tell God about the difficulties and challenges you are facing. Then, turn the focus of your prayer to God and the hope that you have in Him. Cling to that hope as you go about your day.
Going deeper
Read Lamentations 3:19-66 (NLT)
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