Welcome!
Passage: Lamentations 5 (NIV 84)
Today: Real hope in God alone!
Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. 2 Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, our homes to foreigners. 3 We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows.
4 We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price. 5 Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest. 6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. 7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. 8 Slaves rule over us, and there is none to free us from their hands. 9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert. (Lamentations 5, NIV 84) emphasis added
Lamentations of Jeremiah are actually Lamentation of the people of God, as Jerusalem is all devastated. Many have been taken away captives and a few were remaining in Jerusalem. The enemy had destroyed everything possible
This was the situation of those (remnants) remaining in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the target from day 1; it was always attacked one way or other
I was just looking the verses above, comparing it to the situation of the land(s) in which we live; there are many similarities
Many things we use/consume every day, have to come from elsewhere
When a storm or something like that is announced, bread and milk are the first ones to finish in the stores, followed (nowadays) by gasoline!
There are no other sources!
The situation depicted in the verses above are typical of a land which is going through a period of war
Looking at the situation of the church in general, I feel the same. We see lot of unsatisfied people, because they are thirsty and starving; like the Samaritan woman who boasted much about her church yet “thirsty”, there is much “boasting” going on, but people are never fed properly
Just as a land is guided by its rules and laws, the word of God is the rule of the church. Laws of the land (may) change from time to time, but the rule of God does not change. The rule of God’s word is the rule for God’s church
The days ahead may look “gloomy” for the church, but its not! I believe that church will get busy more than ever because, on the other side, many are seeking the Lord sincerely asking more serious questions on life
Like Peter and John, like Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman, we need to make a STOP for them. They may look at us expecting something else, but we must know what they really really need. When church tries to provide people with what they want than what they really need, church fails to do the right thing
Have a blessed day! May God open our eyes to see the need, not the greed!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being there for me; thank you for the word. When my soul is really thirsty and hungry, your word alone satisfies me. I thank you for the sacrifice on the cross, and for the fact that you are alive! Amen
When we look at people and things through the eyes of God, we will be able to meet the need of their soul