Recently, a Bible verse had been ringing in my ear. Although I couldn’t remember its exact words, I knew the gist of the verse. Then, I came upon it, highlighted previously in bright yellow. God must have known that I was searching for it because it was easy to find. The verse rejoices, “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.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV). I can’t help marveling at that Spirit-led shuffle through my Bible’s pages. However, those weren’t the only verses highlighted, and I curiously read through the whole colored part and further into the passage. As I read, God’s Spirit showed me that the entire chapter of Lamentations 3 greatly relates to the world’s current state during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Repent!
I could never understand what God is doing through the coronavirus, but I know that He has a plan. Our suffering is the result of sin, but God’s mercy is still waiting for those who will turn from their sins. God may not heal our physical bodies, but He promises forgiveness for our sins and restoration to those who turn to Him in humble repentance. Like we are struggling with affliction, the prophet who authored Lamentations (unknown) was, too. In Jeremiah 32 NIV, as we discussed in any earlier blog post, the Babylonians were about to conquer Israel. After Jerusalem fell, Lamentations expressed the sufferings of the Israelites.
God allowed the Babylonians to overtake His people, as seen in Jeremiah 32, because they were disobeying Him and worshipping idols. They even strayed so far as to sacrifice their own children to these false gods. Lamentations 3:39-41 confesses, “Why should the living complain when punished for their sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven…” The author calls the Israelites to repent of their sins and return to God. Our souls should respond to these verses in God’s Word by repenting of our sins as well and begging for Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness. (See Matthew
God’s Grace Prevails
In Lamentations 3, the prophet acknowledged that God must discipline His children because He is a just Father and His wrath is righteous. Yet, he lamented, “All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction” (46, 47). Through much suffering, at last he concluded, “I thought I was about to perish” (54b), but God’s hand was over it all. “I called on your name, Lord,” the prayer reminisced, “from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear.’ You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life” (55-58) For any follower of God, much trouble awaits (Matthew 10:16-40 NIV and Matthew 5:10 NIV), but God’s saving grace has already prevailed, whether in life or death (Romans 5 ESV).
A Challenge:
Our only hope is Jesus. Trusting in anything other than Him is idolatry (1 Peter 1:13 ESV). We must repent of this sin and seek Him with our whole hearts (Jeremiah 29:13 ESV). He declares that we will then find Him; and with Him, His mercy; and with His mercy, rest (Matthew 11:25-30 ESV). Every morning, His mercy is new. Bright and awakening, the sun rises with the dawn and the darkness fades. Yet, even in the dark, God has given us some light, the moon and the stars. Figuratively speaking, this present darkness, the world in which we live, will pass away, but the Word of the Lord will last forever (1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV and 1 John 2:17 ESV).
That’s why I want to challenge to you to read the whole chapter of Lamentations 3 and soak in its message. Since God’s Word is so powerful and should act as our guiding light, I also encourage you to write this chapter in small sections and attempt to the memorize it in its entirety throughout the next one or two weeks. This is one way to write the Word of Truth on our hearts and remember God’s mercy not just during the present, but for all eternity.
Works Referenced
1.7 Million Stunning Free Images to Use Anywhere – Pixabay. pixabay.com/.
“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/.
“Book of Lamentations.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Lamentations.
