My daily devotional thought with some encouragement.
Lamentations 3: 19-33 says, "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I will remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." 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. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone."
Today, I am absolutely overwhelmed by the faithfulness + goodness of the Lord. In this passage, Jeremiah witnessed the Babylonians invade Jerusalem. His city + people were reduced to nothing. They were ruins. A thing to be forgotten. In the midst of suffering, Jeremiah found a reason for hope through the promises of God. He reminded himself of the miracles that God had already performed, and the promises that He had kept, and continued to find hope in God's great faithfulness.
It is so easy for us to forget about God's faithfulness in the midst of grief. We forget to keep hope. We forget that God is with us. We forget about the promises that God gave us.
The best reason for hope is God's faithfulness.
God is always so so good to us. His promises are true, and His word is good. God never fails us. I think something that people forget is that sometimes, God gives us trials. It doesn't surprise him when we go through trials. It doesn't surprise God when we face hardship. A big question I often get asked is, "How does God let bad things happen? Why does God let bad things happen? Why doesn't he fix it?". Sometimes, God doesn't fix "it". During these trials and hardships we face, it is often easy for people to stop believing in God. It is easy for people to question their faith. It is easy for people to fall from the Lord because "if God won't fix it then he isn't real".
We have every reason to hope as Christians.
We have every reason to hope. We have reasons to hope through Christ. I want you to sit for a second, and make a list of every reason God has ever given you to have hope. Some reasons are found in the Bible... the virgin birth, the death, the resurrection, any miracle He performed or promise He kept. These are all great reason. But, I'm sure you also have personal reasons to continue to have hope. God pulling you out of a drug addiction or drinking problem. Maybe He gave you a rainbow baby after so many pregnancy losses. Maybe, after months of hardship and crying out on your knees, He gave you the perfect job that was more than you could ever imagine.
The world is often so hopeless. People have a hard time finding hope. Friends, be someone's hope today. Show someone a reason to hope today. Show someone that God is their reason to hope. He is the ultimate reason for hope for all eternity.
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