August 1 | Lamentations 3:19-26
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Dealing with Desolation
By Todd Marti
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never ceases, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.“ The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:19-26 (emphasis added, NASB, other translations available here)
Although today’s reading is part of the “out of context” series, some context is necessary to fully appreciate it. It is part of the book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah after the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem. The circumstances were truly cataclysmic. The temple, the heart of Judean religion, had been destroyed. Judah’s social, religious, and political orders had been obliterated and most of its citizens had been forcibly exiled. All this came after a horrific siege. It must have been especially hard for Jeremiah because he had been warning Judah’s leaders that this was coming unless they changed their corrupt ways, but they ignored him. Book of Lamentations Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Bible Project); Book of Jeremiah Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Bible Project). Jeremiah must have been in a truly desolate state.
Today’s reading describes the ways Jeremiah coped with that desolation. It describes several distinct responses that can also help us when we face difficult circumstances.
One is to humbly contemplate what led to those circumstances. Lamentations 3:20. The Hebrew word translated as “remember” meant, among other things, to consider, meditate about, think through a topic. This can help us understand what God wants us to learn from or appreciate about the situation. That can help us to make some sense of difficult circumstances, and that can give us some measure of peace.
Another is to “recall” God’s past faithfulness, to “hope” for His help going forward, and to patiently “wait” for it. Lamentations 3:21-24. Jeremiah’s direction here is consistent with other scripture. Multiple psalms describe responding to distress by recalling God’s faithfulness and hoping in Him. See e.g. Psalm 42:2-3; Psalm 71:14-17; Psalm 77:11-15. It is also consistent with Saint Paul’s instruction to give thanks in all circumstances, written from prison to people facing difficulties of their own. Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15-17. The commonality is bringing the fact that God can, and desires to, bless you in situations where it’s otherwise hard to perceive His blessing.
A third is to “seek” the Lord. Lamentations 3:25. The underlying Hebrew word described intense communication, fully discussing a situation with God. This is also consistent with other scripture. Paul and James, folks who were well grounded in God, likewise told us to bring our problems to Him when we are in distress. Philippians 4:6-7; James 1:2-5.
Finally, if I may be so bold, let me suggest an additional response: do something that counteracts, helps mitigate, the desolation you find yourself in. Psalm 37:1-3 tells us to “do good” when we are in distressing circumstances. If your distress is caused by someone’s bad behavior, pray for that person. If it is based on someone else’s tough circumstances, do something to help. If it is the result of something you messed up, do something to clean it up. My experience is that the very act of addressing a distressing situation gives some relief from the distress, even if it doesn’t eliminate what caused it.
These responses are as sound today as they were when the scriptures just discussed were written. Hopefully we will never experience something as devastating as Jeremiah did, but if those responses helped him deal with the catastrophe he was facing, they will likely help us, too. They probably won’t produce instant results, and they probably won’t be easy to execute, but we will probably be better off if we try them than if we don’t.
PRAYER
Father, please protect us from trials, but when they come, help us to understand what you want us to learn from them, to recall and rely upon your faithfulness, to frankly discuss them with you, and to see and do what we can do to mitigate them. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TODD MARTI
I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.
Very detailed and thoughtful.
Thank you