Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Co 1:2). Amen.
Do you know of anyone who is actually good at waiting? It is an issue for any and every age group—from young to old. And it can be big things or little things. Or hard things or happy things.
There is the anticipation of an approaching doctor’s visit. (And even if you have the first appointment of the day, you still have to do your time in a separate room before seeing the physician. Good thing everyone has their mobile devices.) And afterward, you wait for the results of the biopsy.
There is the excitement of an upcoming baseball game. Why is every light red on the way there? Even the backseat driver calls attention to and makes mention of the crimson color.
There are lines at restaurants for favorite foods and there are empty tables. You are hungry. You want to dig in.
There are delays at checkouts when buying clothes and there are open registers. You are in a hurry. You want to dress up.
Waiting is not something that we like to do, but we have to do. It is hardly fun. It is often frustrating. Even if we start off with some patience, it turns into impatience. How much longer?
It is that way in life. It can be so with the Lord. But wait in confident hope because the Lord’s compassion is new every morning and because the Lord’s concern is near every moment. We read from …
Lamentations 3:22-33
Dear People of God whose heart is on us and whose help is for us,
Google doesn’t make you wait long. Type is a word or phrase in the box on your phone or computer with just about anything—song titles to sports figures—and there are hundreds of websites to consult and confer. In what? 2 or 3 seconds? And yet we say, “I hope that one might be of some assistance.” There is a bit of uncertainty.
And then there is God. There are those times when our immense expectation for instant gratification is tried and tested. We state, “I hope that God will do something.” And yet at times we are unsure.
We need to review how the Bible uses the word “hope.” There is not ever a hint of hesitation. It is not something doubtful, but definite. That is why we add an adjective as a reminder. It is almost redundant.
Wait in Confident Hope
1. Because the Lord’s compassion is new every morning (22-26)
2. Because the Lord’s concern is near every moment (27-33)
1. Because the Lord’s compassion is new every morning (22-26)
“Good morning” is a pretty simple greeting. We share it with those at home, at work, at church. But what do we mean? Is it a desire: “I would like you to have a good morning.”? Or is a declaration: “It is a good morning.”? It can be that second idea. Wait in confident hope because the Lord’s compassion is new every morning.
The golden age for Israel was gone. Thanks to Nebuchadnezzar and his army from Babylon. They had come down and carted off the best and the brightest. And in their wake, the destruction was staggering because the walls were broken down. The devastation was shocking because the temple was burnt down. It would similar if Washington D.C. was wiped from the map.
It is not surprising that the first words of the book are: “How deserted lies the city, once so full of people” (La 1:1). The survivors could tell of horrors that only soldiers who have seen combat could sympathize—from the carnage to the cruelty. All that was left was the charred ruins of a changed landscape. Why? They had refused the repeated warnings from God’s prophets to repent. Jerusalem had sinned greatly (La 1:8).
That context is critical. Because with that background, there is the bright spot. In the midst of the ruins and rubble in the middle of the book and brokenness, the author writes (probably Jeremiah—we will go with that assumption): “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (La 3:22). [That is the way it works with Hebrew poetry. The good stuff is in the center. I have compared it to a hamburger. The bun is nice, but the meat is the main thing. (By the way, medium well, too. You can have your pink. I like it cooked.) We are used to the important point placed at the end in English compositions.] In spite of the damage to the Holy City, there was still a holy God who is the Lord—changeless in his care and compassion, his forgiveness and firmness (Ex 3:14; 34:6,7). And so again …
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed” (La 3:22). He is full of mercy and is merciful—seeing what is needed and supplying what is necessary. And that never gets used up like gas in a car. No matter how many times we make the trip to Jesus’ cross, we walk away with all our guilt removed. It is all because of him and not us.
“for his compassions never fail” (La 3:22). The Lord’s bond with his people is closer than a mother and her child—or a father for that matter. His deep favor does not come to an end like a summer trip or a day off. Calmly and coolly we can contend, “I am a child of God.”
A short review of Israel’s past makes that point. God had chosen them out of all the nations on earth to be the cradle of the Savior. He rescued them out of the slavery of Egypt to keep that promise alive, the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had resettled them in Canaan after 40 years of wandering in the desert. And now. What about now? That great love and his compassions were still there. With those far away and those close by.
In fact, “They [the Lord’s mercies and compassions] are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (La 3:23). Every breath of air, every sip of water, every crust of bread, and every stitch of clothing were all evidences of that. (And we have so much more than that—full pantries and closets and garages!) All because the Lord is reliable and dependable. As they opened their eyes to another day, that was all there, still there.
As we begin a fresh day, that is all ours too. In place of complaints, we have the Lord’s compassion. He has not given up on us. Nor will he. Ever. Each one of us can join in: “I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’” (La 3:24). We are his. And he is ours—like an inheritance. And that is guaranteed (cf. Ps 73:26). And the wait is not out of uneasiness, but eagerness like for fireworks on the 4th of July. There is conviction. “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him” (La 3:25). There is silence. “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD” (La 3:26). He would bring them back to their homeland one day so the Messiah could be born at the proper time (Ga 4:4).
That is how we can be so positive that the Lord is attentive to us. We see that in what he did to rescue us from sin. The apostle Paul pointed that out: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Co 8:9). Jesus gave up the magnificence of heaven so that we could have a mansion in heaven. We are rich on earth—freedom from sin, but also in eternity—a place with him. Wait in confident hope because the Lord’s compassions are new every morning. That was true yesterday. It is the case today.
2. Because the Lord’s concern is near every moment (27-33)
There are those occasions when it is a salutation: “Good morning,” It can lose its significance and become worthless because of its repetitiveness. But it can be an observation: “It is a good morning.” But we are more ready to assert that when things are going well—when there are happiness and health, not wrong—when there are tears and fears. But in either situation or circumstance, wait in confident hope because the Lord’s concern is near every moment.
Perhaps we forget the title of this section of Scripture—Lamentations. A “lament” is an expression of sorrow or sadness. There can be weeping and crying. The Lord’s spokesmen did not live in ivory towers, but with intense troubles. Like us. They were real people with real problems. That can tear down confident hope. Wait for the Lord? We find it easier to whine to the Lord.
But there is always good. And that is more than a generic word—“good.” It is “beneficial.” Jeremiah jots this down: “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young” (La 3:27). A yoke is that wooden device put on beasts of burden to plow fields or pull loads. But he is referring to a figurative one. It is helpful to learn to deal with tough issues at a tender age for later on. Think of it along the lines of parenting. No mommy or daddy likes to watch their little one carry something heavy like a disappointment of a strikeout. They want to step up and step in. But umps don’t like to change their calls of balls and strikes—even if the ball is outside or inside. But if their little ones don’t deal with distress until they are 47, it will be more difficult.
We have gone and will go through challenging stretches—with our family or finance. But through them the Lord develops endurance and perseverance. And ultimately hope (Ro 5:3-5)—confident hope in the Lord who is in complete control at all times.
And Jeremiah goes on: “Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him” (La 3:28). It is the LORD—note the name, the God of grace—who allows it at times. And he always has a useful purpose. A teacher may permit a student to struggle with a math problem for that one to learn or to turn to him for help.
So we can proceed forward with the Lord. And without grumbling or groaning. “Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope” (La 3:29). There is humility. You can’t utter too much when your mouth is in the ground. “Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace” (La 3:30). There will at times be insults. It could be from those who ruin and wreak your reputation, not recognizing or realizing all that you do for them. How? Or better, why? “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever” (La 3:31). God is the Master of all. He does not disapprove of us, but delights in us. He directs our lives accordingly and also appropriately.
And what is more: “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love” (La 3:32). Even in anxiety, there is assurance. He cares for us (1 Pe 5:7). It will always be for our eternal good. That is all things that confront us or come against us (Ro 8:28). The Lord gets no sick, twisted pleasure to watch us suffer. “For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (La 3:33). His eyes are on us and his heart is open to us.
It is often when life is at its worst that we have opportunity to witness God at his best. You can see Independence Day pyrotechnics better at 10:00 PM than 10:00 AM (even though some around this neighborhood would challenge that theory—and repeatedly over the last few weeks. There no such thing as a bad time for a bottle rocket.).
Note how Jesus did that with Jairus. His 12-year-old daughter was declining. And fast. So when it was dire, he darted to Jesus. But then the unthinkable happened. Death. Despite what those from Jaiurs’ house advised, Jesus announced: “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mk 5:36). He had the ability to heal. And he demonstrated his power over death by taking her by the hand and telling her: “Talitha koum!” (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’)” (Mk 5:41). That same authority he displayed by exiting his tomb after three days. We can only imagine the joy of that little girl’s mom and dad. The same that we feel when we recall that death will touch us and our loved ones, but it will not triumph over us. Because Jesus lives, we live (Jn 14:19).
The psalmist captures the thought when he has us sing: “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5). It can be that quick. Even if the issue is chronic and we don’t get it, God has got it. The Lord will supply strength for it and support in it. Wait in confident hope because the Lord’s concern is near every moment.
We may not be an expert at waiting, but we can learn to excel. You can google ways to improve or increase your stamina. Or you can look to and lean on the Lord. Wait in confident hope because the Lord’s compassion is new every morning and his concern is near every moment. Today is another example of that. There is no doubt about it. Amen.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Co 13:14). Amen.
July 1, 2018
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