Sit Quietly and Wait

Lamentations 3:1-26

In times like these we not only may feel afflicted like Jeremiah here in our text, but we may also feel conflicted, vindictive, and as patriot of our country neglected. When you feel like you have lost something meaningful to you, it is natural and easy to react this way. Jeremiah in verses 1-18 feels the anguish, pain, and suffering of a fallen city and its people.

Jeremiah sees the destruction of a city that he spent forty years trying to save. He is known as the weeping prophet, and he wept so much for the sins and unbelief of the people. He was also ignored, ridiculed, beaten, and imprisoned all because he cared.

Now that the city has fallen, he is sitting among the ruins and begins to write the book of Lamentations. It is considered to be a dirge, or what we call a funeral song and it describes the depth of pain, sorrow, and anguish of a man of God and a patriot. Many times he would look at the city from afar off and would just weep of its impending doom if the people would not repent and change their mind towards God. I think that many did repent, but the leaders of the nation were so far gone in their corruption, greed, and godless agenda that the Lord had no choice but the chasten and punish the nation.

Now he sits among the death and destruction pouring out his heart to God for mercy and hope.

We too are witnessing before our very eyes the collapse of another nation founded by God. I believe that many have turned and turned back to God over these last several months, but like Jerusalem of old, it is our leaders that is bringing about this fall. The same sins of corruption, greed, and godlessness is leading to chaos, and confusion and we don’t know who or what to believe anymore. But just as Jeremiah found hope in his despair we too have hope in ours.

Although Lamentations can be very dark, we have to remember that when light shines into the darkness, the darkness has to flee. (John 1:5) That ray of light and hope was found in the

· Mercy of God (vs 22)

· Faithfulness of God (vs 23)

· Availability of God (vs 24)

It is after this that Jeremiah could move forward and finish the work that God called him to do. He understood that the best way to do that was to “sit quietly and wait on the salvation of the Lord.” (vs 26) Although he preached the promised judgment, he also proclaimed that God would build Jerusalem back up again seventy years later.

It is believed that in the very spot that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, would be the very spot at which Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. The death of a nation is one thing, but the death that we face from sin is another. If Jesus could overcome the greatest enemy of mankind which is death, then surely by the mercy, faithfulness, and availability that we have in God can carry us through and help revive us as a nation again to be

that one nation under God once more! Amen!

God bless and I love you all!

Pastor Robby