Lamentations 3:19-42, 49-51:
The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss, Yet, I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful – steadfast love of Yehovah never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin fresh each morning. I say to myself, “Yehovah is my inheritance therefore, I will hope in Him!”
Yehovah is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from Yehovah. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline:
Let those sit alone in silence beneath Yehovah’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there will be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. [Jesus uses these words to show how we should act in love toward our neighbor, regardless of how they treat us]
For no one is abandoned by Yehovah forever. Though He brings grief [correction], He also shows compassion, because of the greatness of His unfailing love. For He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.
If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High, if they twist justice in the courts doesn’t Yehovah see all these things? [We can understand these words clearly because the things described are taking place all around us today]
Who can command things to happen without Yehovah’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to Yehovah. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say. “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven us.” [This sounds like what Paul tell us in his writings, but in our case, Yehovah forgives us when we ask Him for forgiveness for our sins, for falling short of the mark, because of the sin-offering sacrifice of His uniquely begotten son, Jesus]
You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down, and slaughtered us without mercy. You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you. You have discarded us as refuse and garbage among the nations. “All our enemies have spoken out against us. We are filled with fear, for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.” [This is the condition of a multitude of Jews – Israel to this day]
Notice: Tears stream from my eyes because of the destruction of my people! My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop until Yehovah looks down from heaven and sees. My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.
Do we shed tears over that we see what is happening to people close to us and all around the world, who are spiritually blind because Satan has indeed deceived the whole world [Revelation 12:9]?
Do we cry out for Yehovah, our God, and Father to draw close to all our brothers and sisters who are undergoing suffering, persecution, and being put in prison for believing and trusting in Him for deliverance?
Do we ask Yehovah to give us the courage and persevering commitment to hold fast to all He has given us to do until the end of our lives or the end of this age?
Today is the day of salvation! This age is coming to an end very soon. Are we preparing ourselves by God’s enabling power to stand fast to what is coming? Without our God and Father’s enabling power working in us and through us we will be helpless to withstand what is soon coming.
This Covid 19 pandemic is just the beginning of the sorrows that are coming. What we see is taking place in this world now is just the beginning of the turmoil among the nations that are to follow!
Act now, for “Now is the day of salvation!” [2 Corinthians 6:2]
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