LAMENTATIONS

     '' 'He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust...Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never
fail.'"   (Lamentations 3:16. 21. 22   NIV)




      The book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet".  Because of his visions from God,  Jeremiah knew of the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem and of the suffering and exile of his people.  Lamentations is Jeremiah's song of grief for the souls of Jerusalem.  Still, Jeremiah's constant underlying message is that  HOPE  IS  IN  THE  LORD.

     Have you ever been so busy singing your own funeral song that you missed the chorus of hope?  Sorrow and grief are difficult to bear, but we all experience them from time to time.  Sometimes, because we are human, we may experience some of these emotions to a greater degree than necessary by over-reacting to situations or by trying to handle a problem alone. (Oh, I didn't want to bother anybody...)  Our intentions may be good, but it can lead to hopelessness.
     Hopelessness.  That's pretty much where I found myself the morning God sent me the steamin' heifer...


    It was a rough time.  I had recently been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition.  The realization had begun to sink in that I would spend the rest of my life battling pain and fatigue.  Medicines helped some of the symptoms, but caused new problems, and so on, and so on, and so on...  I was relying on a cane to walk, and couldn't go up or down stairs at all.  Me!  The practical joker, who was always hopping around, being silly, and who -only eighteen months ago - had been jogging daily. Me, the single Mom, who always had the energy to work two jobs, be Mom and Dad and housekeeper and chauffeur and still manage to bake bread or color a poster or throw a party... It didn't make sense!
  

     And it was January. And it was colder than usual for Georgia. And the holidays were over. And my daughter had gone back to college, hundreds of miles away. And I had told her of my illness.  And it hadn't gone well.
     Oh, I was grieving.  I was sorrowful.  I was so close to hopelessness.  I was driving to work on the bitter cold morning, and there was a place in my heart far more cold and bitter than that frosty January air...
     The heater in the car quit about halfway to work.  It was "the last straw". It infuriated me!  I ranted and raved. I asked, "Why? Why? WHY?!"  There I was, driving those back country roads, yelling at God. "Why,  after I've worked so hard all these years?  WHY, when I've tried to be a good person all this time?  WHY???"
  

   Y'know, God could've struck me dead for talking to Him like that.  Instead He sent me a message so clear that it was as if He was sitting in the care with me. It was three little words.  (Now, you're thinking that His three little words were, "I love you." And, I'm sure He does; but, that morning His three little words were: "You are silly."  I thought, "What?" And then I realized that my temper tantrum hadn't accomplished anything other than make me look like a fool.  As I pulled up to a stop sign I was glad no one was there to see me except for a dozen or so cows in the frosty pasture.
  

 One cow was lying down, but she stood up just as I got to the stop sign.  Because of the difference between her body temperature and the cold air, huge wafts of steam drifted off that ol' heifer, and I laughed at the sight.  And laughed. And laughed.  You see, that ol' heifer was steamin'... JUST LIKE ME.  And she looked pretty silly, which is what God had just told me.
     The funeral dirge became a song of hope. And  HOPE  IS  IN  THE  LORD, just as Jeremiah said.  One never knows what instrument He might use to change the music in one's life.  It might just be a silly song from a steamin' heifer.
    

PSALMS

         "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all"  Psalm 103:19  NIV)

photo from: mercyandgrace,net

     The book of Psalms, large as it is, has no "3:16".  Psalms is a large collection of songs to God; many of them even have directions to the music leader; yes, they were meant to be sung.  Some of the psalms are songs of praise, worship, and thanksgiving.  Others are expressions of despair or fear. Still others describe the attributes of God.  In all the Psalms we recognize our thoughts and needs as children of God.
     For this little lesson, I chose an unusual psalm... It's not very flowery or poetic...  It doesn't paint a word picture such as we might get with the 23rd Psalm... But, I chose it because it gives the concise message: God Is In Control.  God has absolute power.  He is the ruler over all people,  the coordinator of all the events in the universe.  HE  IS  SOVEREIGN.
     Sovereign = deserving our utmost reverence and honor. He is in control.  He rules over everything that happens in your life.  Have you put the proper emphasis on His power and His knowledge?  Or, are you trying to hold back certain parts of your life?
  

photo from:  reference.findtarget.com

   That reminds me of a story I read many years ago in a history book; I don't remember what book, and I'm not sure whether or not it was fact, but it sounded like human behavior to me:   When Christianity first came to Europe, military leaders took their armies to rivers for mass baptisms before battle.  Some of the soldiers submerged themselves in the river, but held their right hands up out of the water.  Their rationale was that the soul would be baptized, but the right hand could keep on fighting in battle - just like before the baptism.
     This was wrong-thinking on a couple of levels.  Truth be known, if one examines the scriptures,  it is not wrong to fight in battle... But that's another topic for another day.  In their ignorance of that fact, the soldiers were trying to "get one over on God".  The reader might, at first glance, think this is a pitiful act... But, is our behavior so different from that of the soldiers?  Do we claim to be wholly committed to God, but somehow "forget" to commit our bankbook?  Or, do we hold back certain selfish behaviors, not even allowing for the idea that God could help us improve them?  Why do we hold back from the God Who knows all, created all, and rules all?  He is sovereign.
  

      Sovereign.  Through the years there have been many gold coins called sovereigns.  As we know, coins have two sides.  God has another side, too.  We have looked at His power.  But, now if we will look at "the other side of the coin", we find this wonderful, gentle Father with His arms wide open.  Waiting to hold us, adopt us, forgive us, redeem us, love us.  This offer of Supreme Love is part of his sovereign plan, too:
      

 

Hubble photograph, from the book, "Universe"

 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.  He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names."    (Psalm 47: 3,4   KJV)

     The same God Who watches over you, takes care of the universe.  Isn't that awesome?  Invite Him to be truly sovereign in your life.