When Troubles Come

The Old Testament Book called “Lamentations” is both a strange and amazing book.

It is strange because, as the title suggests, it is a book of crying. Most likely written by Jeremiah (whose nickname was “The weeping prophet”), this book focuses on how bad things were for the people of God. Their enemies had overrun Jerusalem and had taken their homes, their land, their treasures and even their people. Everything that they hoped in was either destroyed or taken from them. Worst of all, they had caused this trouble themselves because they had not listened to God (Lamentations 1). Things could not be worse for God’s people and Jeremiah spends five chapters crying about their troubles.

The book is also amazing because of Jeremiah’s response to all of this. Right in the middle of the book, he stops and writes, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion’, says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’” (3:21-24).

Jeremiah stops and remembers that God is with him. Beyond that, he remembers that God is merciful, steadfast, loving and kind to his people even when they have done wrong. He recalls that every day is a new beginning and chance to start over again. He knows that his real hope is not to be found in possessions or things, but in his relationship with God.

I like this book because, like Jeremiah, it is easy for me to see only my problems and my troubles. It easy for me to focus on what is wrong. I sometimes need the reminder that God is alive, well and working in my life.

Our troubles may be real, but so is the God who helps us through them.