Read Lamentations 3:40-66
A rollercoaster of emotions concludes the third lament. I’m sure you can recall a time in your life when you were on that “ride.” The writer wisely suggests the solution is to turn back to God. No matter what we may be going through, the answer is always to invite God into our situation. Yet, the writer’s guilt is clear. He feels unforgiven, unable to imagine God’s mercy.
Is that what stops us from devoting ourselves to God? Do we feel guilty, unworthy of his love? Thankfully, those are feelings we can control. We are indeed guilty of living sinful lives and should acknowledge that. Never forget that despite what we’ve done, we are loved beyond measure by our heavenly Father. Instead of feeling guilty for our blunders in this life, we should focus on how we can do better. For us Christ followers, we need to follow our leader and be more like Jesus!
When we do find ourselves feeling down and far from God, it’s easy to let negative thoughts crowd our thinking. Nobody likes being on that negative spiral. If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves stuck in the mire at the bottom of our pit of despair. Our text describes the pit as a real place, not just a lost space inside us.
I can recall when the prophet Jeremiah was thrown into a pit and left to die. While Lamentations is not necessarily written by him, this passage has some familiarity to it. God did not let Jeremiah die, nor did he let the writer of this lament stay stuck. God’s rescue is described like this: “Yes, you came when I called; you told me, ‘Do not fear.’”
What we can take away from this is God doesn’t want us to fear. No matter how bad things get in life, we have Jesus. God sent his only son to die for us to redeem us and take the punishment for our sins. The people for whom this lament is written did not have the words of their Messiah to calm them and bring them hope.
That could be why the lament includes a plea to God for vengeance against all the enemies. “Pay them back, Lord, for all the evil they have done.” It’s a natural tendency to want revenge when we are wronged. Somehow, we think our hurt feelings will be mended if our perpetrators pay some price. It’s always best to wait for the Lord’s justice.
The apostle Paul counsels the Romans in Chapter 12 about such matters. He quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 when he says, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) That whole chapter in Romans is packed with great wisdom for being a living sacrifice for Jesus.
As you reflect on this lament today, let the first verse be your guide. “Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.” Who does God see when he looks at you? Get real and don’t be afraid to expose your sinfulness before turning to God.
Let’s pray: Lord, forgive me for I am a fallen sinner. I try so hard to put on a happy face and seem strong, but I need you, Lord. Forgive me when I get stuck in the mire of my pity party and forget to grab on to your hand to pull me out. I want to shine for you and help others see your grace and mercy in my life. Thank you for redeeming me with the sacrifice of your son. Help me to focus on you and all that brings me joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
