by Cindy Geyer
The living Word
Lamentations 3:17-20 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped for 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.
The Word in Motion
Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever felt that you have been deprived of peace, that all is lost and there is no hope? Have you ever notice how well we remember our difficulties. Where they consume us and rob us of all our hope and joy. How we tend to rehearse them over and over...till we can say like the scripture. "I well remember them all." Where we feel like we are forgotten and left to this fate. A place where our emotions are overtaken with despair. Woe is me, all is lost.
The writer of this verse tells us of his overwhelming despair but he says something very important in the rest of this passage.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. vs 21.. Something deep within him knows there is something better. He uses the word YET...a choice, a desire to see something different. A memory, an experience, a thought that gives hope. So what is it?
Because of the Lord's great mercy we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. vs 22-23
He calls to mind a truth that he has known. That God is merciful and His mercy is new every morning. He knows that because of God's mercy he will not be consumed by these circumstances. For God's love never fails. It never fails. He will never run out of mercy for us. It is fresh every morning, and above all that He is faithful. In Isaiah 40 verse 28 it says: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. Wow! What a promise. He is faithful and he does understand what you are going through and He will not fail or get tired.
So the writer goes on to say in verse 24: I say to myself, "Self" (my emphasis) " The Lord is my portion; I will wait for Him." He is choosing to trust in the Lord and then states: 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.
He is boldly choosing the Lord and his faithfulness over the downcast place of despair. He is remembering and grasping on to the life line of truth. The Lord is good and He will deliver. So therefore I have hope. He is declaring who God is over his circumstances and standing in that place of hope.
In psalm 23:4 there is a promise which states that whatever we have to face in this life there is a promise to hold onto. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are with me. What is the Yet part of this verse? What do we need to call to mind and therefore have hope? You are with me so I will not fear!
We tend to express the part , Yea though I walk through the valley of death, I will not fear" as a declaration and "for you are with me" as a statement. We need to turn that around, and recall the truth, the promise, "YOU are with me!" This is your declaration of faith. Shout it, declare, call it to mind for it will establish the rest of the statement. so...SO.."I will not fear" Then the faith is based on God' presence, and on His faithfulness not on your ability to not fear.
It isn't WOE IS ME...it is YET, YET this I call to mind and therefore have HOPE....That God is merciful, His love never fails, He is faithful, He will never leave us, and He is Good!
So let us try this, let us recall and declare who God is in our lives and over our circumstances so our countenances will be lifted up. For, yes it is true, God Is Faithful!
The living Word
Lamentations 3:17-20 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped for 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.
The Word in Motion
Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever felt that you have been deprived of peace, that all is lost and there is no hope? Have you ever notice how well we remember our difficulties. Where they consume us and rob us of all our hope and joy. How we tend to rehearse them over and over...till we can say like the scripture. "I well remember them all." Where we feel like we are forgotten and left to this fate. A place where our emotions are overtaken with despair. Woe is me, all is lost.
The writer of this verse tells us of his overwhelming despair but he says something very important in the rest of this passage.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. vs 21.. Something deep within him knows there is something better. He uses the word YET...a choice, a desire to see something different. A memory, an experience, a thought that gives hope. So what is it?
Because of the Lord's great mercy we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. vs 22-23
He calls to mind a truth that he has known. That God is merciful and His mercy is new every morning. He knows that because of God's mercy he will not be consumed by these circumstances. For God's love never fails. It never fails. He will never run out of mercy for us. It is fresh every morning, and above all that He is faithful. In Isaiah 40 verse 28 it says: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. Wow! What a promise. He is faithful and he does understand what you are going through and He will not fail or get tired.
So the writer goes on to say in verse 24: I say to myself, "Self" (my emphasis) " The Lord is my portion; I will wait for Him." He is choosing to trust in the Lord and then states: 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.
He is boldly choosing the Lord and his faithfulness over the downcast place of despair. He is remembering and grasping on to the life line of truth. The Lord is good and He will deliver. So therefore I have hope. He is declaring who God is over his circumstances and standing in that place of hope.
In psalm 23:4 there is a promise which states that whatever we have to face in this life there is a promise to hold onto. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are with me. What is the Yet part of this verse? What do we need to call to mind and therefore have hope? You are with me so I will not fear!
We tend to express the part , Yea though I walk through the valley of death, I will not fear" as a declaration and "for you are with me" as a statement. We need to turn that around, and recall the truth, the promise, "YOU are with me!" This is your declaration of faith. Shout it, declare, call it to mind for it will establish the rest of the statement. so...SO.."I will not fear" Then the faith is based on God' presence, and on His faithfulness not on your ability to not fear.
It isn't WOE IS ME...it is YET, YET this I call to mind and therefore have HOPE....That God is merciful, His love never fails, He is faithful, He will never leave us, and He is Good!
So let us try this, let us recall and declare who God is in our lives and over our circumstances so our countenances will be lifted up. For, yes it is true, God Is Faithful!
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