Ruins tell the story of decay, neglect, and destruction, which can picture our spiritual lives. Despair and hopelessness settle into our lives. The Prophet Jeremiah faced a time in his life when he was in the midst of the ruins of Jerusalem. Babylon had destroyed the city, and all hope was gone. How did Jeremiah handle this hopeless condition? How can we manage our hopeless situation?
Jeremiah, amid the ruins of Jerusalem, looks up to God. He says in Lamentations 3:21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” He knows in himself there are no answers: ” My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” (Lam 3:18). However, he knows that his hope is in God alone.
When we are facing hopelessness in our lives, our only hope is in the Lord alone. We must take our eyes off the ruins around us and in us and focus on the Lord. Jeremiah focuses on five attributes of God that bring great hope in his life despite the ruins around Him.
1. God is Merciful– “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, ” (Lamentations 3:22). We find hope in His forgiveness as we come to Him with a repentant heart.
2. God is Compassionate. “because his compassions fail not.” (Lam. 3:22b)
We find hope in his compassion. He does love us even amid our hopeless situation.
3. God is Faithful– “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:23) We find hope in His faithfulness to keep all of His promises.
4. God is Omnipresent. (He is with me) ” The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:24 We find hope in His presence. He walks with us amid the ruins and the rebuilding thereof.
5. God is Good. “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentations 3:25 We find hope in the will of God, which is always for our good.
What will we do amid our hopelessness? Will we stay defeated and discouraged, or will we look up to our great and mighty God? Jeremiah discovered great hope in a hopeless situation, and so can we!!
Ruins tell the story of decay, neglect, and destruction. We can also face times of ruin and decay. We feel hopeless and in despair. The Prophet Jeremiah experienced a time in his life when he was in the midst of the ruins of Jerusalem. Babylon had destroyed the city. All hope was gone. How did Jeremiah handle this hopeless condition? How can we manage our desperate situation?
Jeremiah, amid the ruins of Jerusalem, looked up to God. He said in Lamentations 3:21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” He knows in himself there are no answers: ” My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” (Lam 3:18) Jeremiah knows in himself there are no answers; however, he knows that his hope is in God alone.
When we are facing hopelessness in our lives, our only hope is in the Lord alone. We must take our eyes off the ruins around us and in us. Our focus can only be on the Lord. Jeremiah focuses on five attributes of God that bring great hope in his life in spite of the ruins around Him.
1. God is Merciful– “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed” (Lamentations 3:22) God’s forgiveness brings restoration and hope in our life. As we come to Him with a repentant heart, He takes the mess of our life, and He restores us
2. God is Compassionate. “because his compassions fail not.” (Lam. 3:22b) His compassion gives us a reason for hope. He takes our hopeless situation, and in His love, He rebuilds our life.
3. God is Faithful– “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness“. (Lamentations 3:23) God’s promises give us hope amid the ruins of our lives. God’uses His promises to rebuild our lives.
4. God is Omnipresent. (He is with me) “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore, will I hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:24) God’s presence gives us hope. He walks with us amid the ruins. He is with us throughout the rebuilding project of our life.
5. God is Good. “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25) God’s goodness brings hope to us. We know that God will take the ruins and make our life into something beautiful and glorifying to Him
What will we do amid our hopelessness? Will we stay defeated and discouraged, or will we look up to our great and mighty God? Jeremiah discovered great hope in a hopeless situation, and so can we!!
Imagine wandering in the desert. You are hot, tired, and extremely thirsty. As you are in despair, you come upon a spring of water! There is joy, strength, and encouragement because of the water! YOU ARE REFRESHED. Are we like that spring of water in the lives of others? Do we bring refreshment to their lives? “For they (Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achalcus) HAVE REFRESHED MY SPIRIT AND YOURS.” (1Co 16:18): God used these three men to REFRESH others. Will we be a spring of water to someone in despair, discouragement, or depression? Here are ways that we can bring refreshment to others.
1. We can refresh others by our presence.
2. We refresh others by our words
3. We refresh others by our prayers
4. We refresh others by our example
5. We refresh others by our kind deeds
6. We refresh others by forgiving them.
7. We refresh others with our love.
“Dear Lord, help me to look beyond myself and see the needs of others. There are people around me who need to be encouraged. Others need emotional healing. Some people need a friend. Guide me so that I can be a refreshment to others as you daily refresh my soul. Amen”
I come before you in great heaviness of soul. I feel the burden of my inadequacy, as well as the burden of my lack of faith. I feel the burden of an unknown future, as well as the burden of my past failures. I am walking by my feelings instead of entrusting myself to the facts of your Word. In other words, my life doesn’t fit in a nice little package.
Father, I need you desperately. Please do not be silent towards me. Please answer my prayer. Please come and be near to me. Please open the truths of your Word unto me. May your light reveal the dark crevices of my life. May your peace overcome the anxiety that is in my heart. May your comfort overcome the disquietude of my soul. May your love permeate every area of my life.
Father, I need to gaze upon your beauty as David did in the midst of his tough times: Help me to gaze upon the beauty of all that you are. Help me to gaze upon the beauty of all that you have done. Help me to gaze upon the beauty of your promises.
Thank you for listening to me, as I pour out my heart before you. You have never left me nor forsaken me. Your love has never failed. Your mercies are new every morning. Your grace has been sufficient for all my needs. I love you, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to call you, My Father. Take my life and use it as you please. Amen.
Storm brewing over Downriver Area of Metro Detroit (2011)
“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” (Psalm 112:7)
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” is a Christmas Carol that people sang since the 16th century in England. If is a song of joy as expressed in the words: “Good tidings we bring to you and your kin. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” However, not everybody receives good tidings during this time of year. We still face trials, sorrow, and pain. Many people even feel a deeper sense of loneliness during this time of year than at any other time of the year. Yes, evil tidings don’t stop during this time of year: however there is good news from God in the midst of evil tidings that may come our way.
In the Bible, we see many people who triumphed over the evil tidings in their lives. Joseph overcame many evil tidings, including betrayal, slavery, and prison, to become the prime minister of Egypt. Ruth overcame the evil tidings of the death of her husband and living in poverty. She would soon marry Boaz and become the great-grandmother of King David.
God gives us his Word to encourage us as we face the evil tidings of life that may come our way. Every day, “bad news” can surprise us. We don’t ask for it, but it is a package delivered to the doorway of our lives. How can we triumph even in the midst of bad news? How can we see good news come out of the bad news? Psalm 112:7 gives us some answers to these questions.
Normally, our first response to bad news is to be afraid or fearful. Fear paralyzes us. It causes us to focus upon the bad news instead of our Great God. God tells us that we do not have to be afraid of the “evil tidings” that enter into our life. God knows that fear will keep us from seeing Him clearly. Fear causes us to doubt the goodness and the power of God. For this reason God gives us many verses that command us to “fear not”.
“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob,and he that formed thee, O Israel, FEAR NOT: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
” FEAR THOU NOT; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, NEITHER LET IT BE AFRAID.” (John 14:27)
When fear departs in the midst of the bad news, then we are able to do the next step in facing our bad news. We now can “fix our heart” upon the Lord. Our bad news is an opportunity to focus upon God. We can focus upon all of His attributes and promises. When we fix our heart upon the Lord, it may not change our circumstances, but it will change how we face our circumstances. We will understand with the Apostle Paul that
God’s grace is sufficient for the “evil tidings” that may come in our life.
Once fear has departed and we have fixed our heart upon the Lord, then we can have faith in Him. Faith is responding to all that we know about God. The more we know the Lord, the more we will be able to trust Him. True faith knows that God will never leave us, nor forsake us regardless of the “bad news” that may come our way. His love is an unchanging love. He loves us with an “everlasting love.”. Faith in our Lord will dispel any fear in our life. It will enable us to bear whatever “bad news” that comes our way.
In summary, when we receive bad news, Psalm 112: 7 tells us three ways to respond to the “evil tidings”
Do not allow fear to dominate our thoughts and actions.
Fix our heart upon the Lord. Let our thoughts focus on the Lord.
Place our faith in the Lord. He will carry us as we face the “bad news’ in our life.
When the “evil tidings” enter into our live, God has a way of turning those evil tidings into an opportunity to see Him work in our life and in the lives of those around us. God will turn those “evil tidings” into “good tidings” that will draw us closer to Him, and bring glory to His name.
“Dear Lord, the news that I receive is not always good. I see people who are suffering. I visit those who have marital problems. I talk with those who have a loved one who is dying. I see people who have turned away from you. I also face difficulties from time to time in my life. My tendency is to face the bad news with fear. Help me, to turn my eyes off the “bad news” and fix my heart upon you. Please, increase my faith. Help me to believe that you will take this “bad news” and make it into something good. Thank you for your great plan for my life. Amen”
Ruins tell the story of decay, neglect and destruction. Our spiritual lives can also face times of ruin and decay. We feel hopeless and in despair. The Prophet Jeremiah faced a time in his life when he was in the midst of the ruins of Jerusalem. Babylon had completely destroyed the city. All hope was gone. How did Jeremiah handle this hopeless condition? How can we handle our hopeless condition?
Jeremiah, in the midst of the ruins of Jerusalem, looks up to God. He says in Lamentations 3:21: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” He knows in himself there are no answers: ” My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” (Lam 3:18) However, he knows that his hope is in God alone.
When we are facing hopelessness in our lives, our only hope is in the Lord alone. We must take our eyes off the ruins around us and in us, and focus on the Lord. Jeremiah focuses on five attributes of God that brings great hope in his life in spite of the ruins around Him.
1. God is Merciful– “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, ” (Lamentations 3:22) We find hope in His forgiveness, as we come to Him with a repentant heart.
2. God is Compassionate. “because his compassions fail not.” (Lam. 3:22b)
We find hope in his compassion. He does love us even in the midst of our hopeless situation.
3. God is Faithful– “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness“. (Lamentations 3:23) We find hope in His faithfulness to keep all of His promises.
4. God is Omnipresent. (He is with me) ” The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:24 We find hope in His presence. He walks with us in the midst of the ruins and the rebuilding thereof.
5. God is Good. “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentations 3:25 We find hope in the will of God, which is always for our good.
What will we do in the midst of our hopelessness? Will we stay defeated and discouraged or will we look up to our great and mighty God? Jeremiah discovered great hope in a hopeless situation and so can we!!
Bible Treasures for Today 