Lamentations 3:25-26
– March 8, 2009
Intro: Today we are
looking at a book written by Jeremiah right after the fall and destruction of
Yet even in the midst of these laments there are promises
given and expressed. This morning we are
going to look at one of these.
1. Jeremiah’s heart
is broken over what he is seeing. It is
not written from an I told
You attitude but
one that states, “I told you this would happen and my heart is broken
Because you would
not listen.” Through the five laments
Jeremiah pleads to God for
The city and
hopes, prays and trusts that God will not forget them.
2.. Lamentations is not only a series of laments but a
prayer of intercession. Even though
The city was destroyed
by divine judgment, lessons were learned by the exiles.
a. They
were taught how they were purified in afflictions. Unfortunately many lessons
Cannot be learned
unless we are somehow stopped in our tracks.
Jesus learned
Obedience the
Bible says what He suffered. If Jesus did, why would you think, you
Would be
immune.
b. The
trials and tribulations we face will be comforted by the Lord and He will be
Gracious. Through them we learn faith, trust,
obedience, faithfulness and how limited
Our wisdom and
resources really are.
3. There are four
brief promises I want to share with you today.
a. The
Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him.
Hope as we learned last week is an
Expectation of
something desired. Jeremiah was big on
hope. He states that God is
Good to those
hope is in Him. You know as Larry Lea
states in your nor that God is
Your source, help
and rock. David stated in the Psalms
that the Lord is a rock that
Cannot be
moved. Jesus called the man who build
his house on the rock wise.
b. God is good. He will be especially to those who put their
trust in Him. As we learn
Last week in
Jeremiah 29:11, that God has thoughts towards us, He has plans that
Give us a hope
and a future. He has no plans to harm us
or destroy us.
God makes a
promise, faith believes it, hope anticipates it and patience waits for it.
Hope sees the
invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. Hope is
Putting faith to
work when doubting is easier.
c. To the one who seeks Him. Jeremiah is big on seeking God. It kept him going,
Because he spoke
for years in a time, place and people that were generally hostile to
The things of
God. The Bible states we are to seek
God’s Kingdom first. (Matt 6:33)
God rewards those
that diligently seek him. (Heb
11:6) To seek means to active
Search. To look for something or someone until the
goal is reached. Are you seeking
After God?
d. It is
good to wait quietly. Jeremiah
had spent a considerable amount of time praying,
Interceding and
weeping over
Lord, he was
going to wait. Isaiah encouraged the
same thing in Isaiah 40:31. This
Means waiting
with a quiet heart, in expectation, looking for God’s movement and
Ready to go when He says
go. One writer stated. “Patience is the hardest fruit of
The Spirit to
exhibit in a time of waiting.” Talk
about the wise and foolish virgins.
e. For
the salvation of the Lord. Salvation
is a state of being saved from a peril or
Outcome that
leads to death. Being delivered,
protected and rescued. Jeremiah had
The assurance of
God’s word that 70 years later God would restore and bring back
The people of
A boy was in danger of being drowned while
bathing in a river. Seeing a traveller
On the bank, he called to him to help but
the man began to lecture him on his rashness.
“Rescue me now,” cried the boy, “you can
lecture me later when I am safe.”
Aesop’s
Fable.
f. Jeremiah gave
through this passage a promise one that we must be willing to apply
And hold onto.
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