Jesus Is Always There
There are times when it feel like God is against us, that He has abandoned us to this world and the chaos that is here. While there may be reasons for us to feel this way, undisclosed sin separating us from God for example, as born-again followers of Christ; He never truly abandons us. Perhaps the chapter that has made this concept stand out to me the most has been Lamentations chapter three. In this chapter, the author begins by making claims that God has turned His hand against him and Israel to the point where the author states, “18 so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:18.
Maybe you are in a place now where your hope in the Lord has diminished. Maybe you feel as if He has completely turned against you. If that is the case, first I would like you to examine your life and honestly look to see if there is any sin in your life that can be causing this feeling of separation. After all, the book of Lamentations was written to discuss Israel turning from God and the resulting consequences of that choice. Once you have done this, I would encourage you to look at the second half of chapter three in Lamentations. Specifically verses 19-26.
“19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
This passage begins by the author stating that they continually remember their afflictions, times of trouble, and because of this their soul is bowed down. The phrase “bowed down” brings to mind someone who has their head lowered, possibly kneeling on the ground, someone who has been broken. And with the context of the book of Lamentations, this is certainly the case. However, we quickly see that the author does not allow their afflictions to destroy them. Despite their struggles they have hope, and that hope is in the Lord.
Instead of focusing on their trials, the author is focusing on the steadfast love of God, His mercies, and His faithfulness. We see that the author states that God’s mercies never come to an end and that is certainly true. While we may feel that God has abandoned us in our times of need, He doesn’t. He is with us to the end of the age. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b. I encourage you, when you are faced with hard times to reflect back and see how God has provided for you in the past. If you do this, I am sure that you will see that He does have a steadfast love and is full of mercy. By looking back on the past actions of God, we can be assured that He will continue to have this love and mercy for us in the times that we are in, as well as the times to come. You will then find yourself thinking just as the author of this passage did. The Lord is our portion, we have hope in Him.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex