Great Is God's Faithfulness
. . . Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:23
The book of Lamentations is a series of songs for mourning, that were written against the backdrop of the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. In the verses of this book, we can see the awful sufferings endured by the people of that city at the hand of their enemies. Still, even in the midst of all the pain and the turmoil, God had His man in Jerusalem to record the events and to bring honour to His Name.
We do not know for sure who the writer of the Lamentations is, but is believed by many to be Jeremiah. He was known as the 'Weeping Prophet.' A study of Jeremiah’s life reveals a portrait of unending sadness and deep depression.
1. Received an unwanted call to minister (Jer 1:5-6).
2. Called to a ministry of preaching nothing but judgement (Jer. 1:9-10).
3. He was forbidden to marry so that he might give himself more fully to his ministry of proclaiming the impending judgement of God (Jer 16:1-13). As a result he was very familiar with loneliness.
4. He was a man of deep sadness and he wept openly about the sins of his people (Jer. 9:1).
5. He endured depression as the result of his message going unheeded for so long. He even came to the point where he tried to get out of the ministry (Jer 20:9). His pain is understandable, because in a ministry that spanned some 50 years, there is no record of even one convert.
6. He suffered imprisonment by King Zedekiah because the king did not approve of Jeremiah’s preaching (Jer 32:5). Even while the Babylonians are invading the city in fulfilment of his prophet declarations, Jeremiah is sitting in the dungeon (Jer 32:2).
The verses before us today, offer a message of hope and comfort for those going through tough seasons. They remind us that God’s love and mercy are constant, even when our circumstances seem overwhelming.
READ: Lamentations 3:21-26.
Prayer: Glorious Father, Through all the changing scene of life, You are there and I thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.
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