Then I looked at the list of verses that I was scheduled to read in my Bible in a Year study, and I saw the book of Lamentations listed. “Oh no,” cried the silly little remnants of my formerly superstitious heart. “That book is just a collection of moaning from Jeremiah! What does that say about what my future has in store for me?” Of course, that final question was rhetorical, as my mind was already envisioning doom and devastation. As the winds whipped the trees outside my home, the ominous phrase “winds of change” came to mind, and I began to dread.
So, I opened the Bible groaning with the expectation that I was going to be forced to focus on the laments of Jeremiah as he grieved the fall of Jerusalem at the hand of the Babylonians and to see the distressing parallels in my own life. Just as expected, I read a lot of sadness from the Prophet in the assigned scripture. But, I also found my attention being captured by a collection of verses that point toward hope rather than anguish.
Lamentations 3:18-26
So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 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. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
These verses remind me that today I have a choice. I can choose to focus my attention on a past of disobedience, poor choices and mourn the things that I have lost and the pain that I have suffered. Or, I can look to the future with hope, not because of anything I have done or will do, but rather because of who my Heavenly Father is and His great love for me.
In this life, it is so easy to be consumed with anxiety and the pain that we have experienced. But in these verses, our Heavenly Father is encouraging us to let go of the pain of our past and have confidence in His promises of a love and faithfulness, which are abundant and forgiving and forever. His compassion never fails.
So as you reflect on your life, rather than focusing on the pain of your bad choices, choose instead to see the way in which God has convicted your heart and called you toward repentance. And, remember the ways in which He blessed you as you were obedient to His call.
As the verse says, if we place our hope in Him, He will be good to us. God’s steadfast love and mercy are greater than any sin. So instead of looking to our future with angst, we should place our trust in Him, seek Him, and “wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord,” as our ultimate reward is not here in this life but in His promise of eternal salvation for those who believe. As we keep our eyes focused on Him, we will have the comfort of His love and confidence in His promises of love, mercy, and saving grace.
As I concluded my time in His Word that day and heard the winds still blowing outside, I was reminded of Matthew 8:26-27 when Jesus rebuked the waves and the winds and the Disciples were amazed because even the winds obeyed Him. And, I smiled because I have confidence in the God who is sovereign over it all and know that even the winds of this life know His name.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this reminder that I am your daughter and you have forgiven the past I have repented of and have promised to bless my future with the eternal joy of worshipping you forever in your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
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