Hope is Coming
Lamentations 3:1-24, Jeremiah 25:1-8
Jeremiah had warned God’s people of the judgment to come if they didn’t repent, and here we see him weeping over the affliction that came from God’s judgment. What Jeremiah was witnessing here wasn’t just a deconstructed city but absolute horrific devastation—an image of life without God. The people were so hungry that they ate their children, and everything they once had was taken from them. The scene is almost unbearable, yet Jeremiah responds with, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him..’”
How could Jeremiah be so confident that hope was coming?
In Jeremiah’s darkest moment, His hope was strengthened by this truth: God had been faithful and would remain loyal. Jeremiah saw both God’s judgment and His love. In the time of judgment, Jeremiah could cling to God’s love just as he warned of God’s judgment in times of prosperity.
Without God, utter devastation is imminent because sin breeds death. However, with God, hope is near. With God at the center, we can endure tragedy and hardship because we know that is not the end. When we put our faith in Christ, we trust His death on the cross to pay our debts believing that eternal life comes with no more pain, suffering, trials, or tribulations. Jeremiah has hope because He knows that God is a God of mercy. I love what John Piper writes about this chapter, “The mercies of God are often hidden and hard to see while they are happening because it says he does cause grief and he does afflict. And yet it says there is a merciful purpose in it all. And it is not coming from the bottom of his heart. He does not willingly afflict the sons of man. There are purposes for his affliction. It is not what he delights most to do, yet he does it. And if we trust him, mercies are hidden there for us.”
This chapter points to our need for God. Without Him, the rubble we see in this book is our future, but we have been given a generous portion in Christ.
As you process this chapter, reflect on the mercy given to us in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Ask God to help you hope in hardship and be reminded that far greater things are coming.
