December 6 – Lamentations 3:19-6
Jesus, our Savior King, we praise You for You are Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!!!! We thank You for You secure our peace! We fall before You in worship and adoration. Draw near to us, Lord of all.
When faced with extreme hardships, this author remembered God. He remembered who God is, and it gave him hope renewed. In his state, he laid out all that God has done and all that He will do. He remembered.
STOP: TRIGGER WARNING [I am going to lay out a wee story from life that could be triggering; it is about loss. So, if you find that topic may trigger you, skip my commentary. And if you continue to read it and need to talk with someone… please!!!! Contact me, one of the team, or someone you trust. Send me a message, I WILL answer.]
Years ago, when I was a young 29 year old woman, I was expecting a new baby. It was on the heels of a couple of deployments and a month prior to the next deployment. Right, it was a time when I would deploy for six or more months every 4 months. An already stressful season, right? I had babies before; I knew what to expect. They had been high risk, but all turned out fine in the end. But I had never been prepared for what would actually happen in that pregnancy. In short, I experienced an unexpected pre-preterm labor and delivery. My wee boy was born sleeping. And my world and my faith were shaken to the core. What I went through during that time and thereafter, that was my personal Lamentations 3. And when I sing, “Great is your faithfulness, Oh God my Father,” I mean those words. When I sing, “I will praise You in this storm,” I mean those words. When I sing, “I will worship through it,” I mean those words. And yes, when I sing the words to “Even If” by Mercy Me… I mean all of those words, too.
The Spirit reminded me that God’s ways are not mine, nor are they meant to be. My faith walk helped me navigate through it. And that moment in life helped strengthen my faith into what it is now today, in this very moment. My today faith was launched from a devastating and horrendous loss. It became a holy and sacred moment, as my friend prayed it would. It was blessed. Had I not had the faith in the hope that I had at the time, this life event could have destroyed me. But I waited. Because I still had hope that one day I would know and understand the answers to all of my screaming, “Why’s???!!!!!!!”
Our hope in Him is everything. Having hope does not mean our Lamentations 3 pain goes away entirely or is forgotten. Know that as I type this 15 years after I handed my breathless wee one to God, I am sobbing. Tears are flowing, and I have a towel over my keyboard, soaked through snot-filled tissues scattered on the table. I am sobbing uncontrollably. And I really, really miss my baby. And yet! I know that God is steadfast. I know He is hope. I know He loves me. I know He is my portion. I know!!! And those are most of my tears. Tears of sorrow, yes. But also tears of joy, hope, love, and faith in my big, big God.
The Lord is good to those who wait on Him. In this advent season, may He bless your hope in Him. May you be so filled with Hope as you await His return that you are steadfastly faithful. May you remember who He is and remember who you are in Him. May His portion be enough. And may you worship through it.
My Verse: “But 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;” Lamentations 3:21-22
My Response: My Portion, my Joy, my Everything, You are my everything. I kneel before You wordless. I have only my tears to once again give back to You. In this moment, it is all I have. And I give it all to You.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
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Sharon’s morning thoughts: Oh Melissa, I cried when I first read this, editing, and I’m crying again now for the sorrow of the loss of the beloved baby you have to wait until Heaven to get to know … but oh how I thank God for the sure hope of Heaven. Sending you a cyber hug this morning and so thankful for the God of Hope who helps in the most desperate of times, and Who knows the trauma of great loss – Himself.
My verses: Lamentations 3:55-56 “But I called on your name, LORD, from deep within the pit. You heard me when I cried, ‘Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!'”
My response: Could Jeremiah have cried out in that pit with stones dropping on him and the water rising (verses 53-54) without hope? Nope. He still had faith and hope that You would rescue him even as the waters rose. Even when it appeared hopeless. And … you DID. You rescued him. And You rescued Melissa from despair as well. And You have rescued me. Oh Father, You comfort and counsel and weep with us like no one else can. Help me to always cry out to You, whether I am in a palace or a pit.