Stefan Johnson - 10-08-2023 // Hope in Him; Lamentations 3

The modern world, if it considers God's existence, likes to emphasize God as love.  But it must be recognized that God's wrath and judgment are just a crucial.  And while we are in the day of grace, we must recognize that God still hates sin and that He does not, and will not, simply sweep sin under the rug.

In Lamentations, the prophet is forced to deal with God's wrath poured out on the nation of Judah, specifically as it applied to the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian empire.  And while we often view our circumstances from an emotional vantage point, like Jeremiah we need to take the theological view, God's view, on what is happening.  Like Jeremiah, our hope is in the steadfast love of the Lord; a love which never ceases.  But at the same time, we must come to terms with the fact that God's love is connected to discipline.  He always seeks our ultimate good, which includes repentance, restoration and a changed life.

We thank you for listening to today's lesson.  We pray that as we consider today's passage, we will be encouraged that we can trust and praise God in all circumstances.