Lamentations
February 1, 2009 by Audreys · 2 Comments
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3: 22-26
When Jeremiah was writing this poetic book, he was feeling a bit alienated by God. He was grieving the loss of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. The destruction of Jerusalem was the result of God’s judgment for the Israelites’ sin. Jeremiah knows this. It was not Jeremiah’s sin that caused the resulting judgment on Jerusalem. He felt this loss very personally though. Even as he grieved, He called out to God. He knew that God is a God of grace and able to restore anything or anyone.
In our situation, we were at first feeling a bit alienated by God as well. Our grief for the loss of our daughter was overwhelming. Our own personal sin did not cause Katelyn to die. This was not an act of judgment by God. We know that. But we also know that we live in a sinful world and the loss of a stillborn baby with no medical explanation is due to an imperfect world. Although that is very hard to accept, we have prayed and received peace from God that we don’t need to know the answer. Knowing she is in Heaven with Him is enough.
Jeremiah’s strong faith through his experience has taught us that even though we have lost our daughter, it is only temporary; Scott and I will one day see her again. Meeting Katelyn with Jesus is our prayer, and through the saving blood of Jesus Christ we know we will.
We have also learned that waiting on the Lord is vital to keeping our hope alive. We will be restored as a family in Heaven one day. Until then, we trust completely in Him. What a great example of waiting and trusting in the Lord that Jeremiah is. It is an example that we try to follow.
God is the light in the midst of the darkness, and our hope is in Him!
