I’ll be honest, when I came to the book of Lamentations in my daily readings my heart didn’t skip. That’s terrible, I know, but I always want to be honest. However as I have been reading it has been helpful to express emotions that many of us are going through.

The book is a collection of laments about the destruction of Judah and the exile to Babylon. In Lamentations 3 we read along list of laments from the writer;

• l am a man who has seen affliction
• He (God) has driven me away
• I walk in darkness, not light
• He’s turned His hand against me
• My skin and flesh are old
• My bones are broken
• I’m surrounded by bitterness and hardship
• I dwell like those who are long dead
• I am walled in
• I am weighed down with chains
• My prayers are shut out
• My ways is barred
• My path is crooked
• I’ve been dragged away as if by a wild animal
• I’ve been mangled without help
• I’m the target of his arrows
• My heart is pierced
• I’m a laughing stock and I’m mocked in songs
• I’m filled with bitter herbs
• My teeth are broken
• I’ve been trampled in the dust
• I’m deprived of peace
• I’ve forgotten prosperity and
• My splendor is gone

To summarise, things aren’t going great! After this long list of woes the writer then says something very surprising.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Lamentations 3:21

The fact that he has hope after he has expressed his present painful emotions is pretty incredible. The question we should all ask is, what has he brought to mind? The writer answers it over the next verses

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. Lamentations 3:22-24

He writes more about this. Here is a few other examples

For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love Lamentations 3:31-32

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands……. Lamentations 3:40-41a

This is an incredible display of how we can still trust in the name of the Lord and declare His goodness. Whatever we are facing today, whatever our emotions are telling us we can remember His goodness and….

Therefore we have hope