Its A Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

Lamentations 3:19-36 Msg

19-21 I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

22-24 God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.

25-27 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30 When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst.

31-33 Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way:

34-36 Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, Refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, Tampering with evidence— the Master does not approve of such things.

Today is one of those days where I just plain feel bad. I'm tired, hurting, and depressed. But God...don't you just love those 2 little words? But God. He comes in and makes His presence known in the midst of our yuck. That is just what happened today. In the middle of feeling so bad, He came in and gave me His Word. I love this passage. I especially love the part about HIs love never running out...thank you Father. It was a fresh reminder that no matter where you are in this world, no matter who you think doesn't love you, His LOYAL love never runs out...it just can't.

Crystie