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Lamentations 3:19-27

INTRODUCTION: This is a great passage to look at as we start the New Year, because it deals with one of life’s most pressing questions. As a Christian, how do you deal with sorrow in your life? How do you cope with suffering and loss as a believer? How do you handle the emotions that accompany the loss of a job or a friendship, or perhaps the loss of a loved one or family member? Should our response as Christians be different from the response of those who do not know the Lord? I believe so, and I believe that these verses in Lamentations teach us some valuable truths about how to deal with loss and sorrow in our lives. (Read Lamentations 3:19-27 and pray.)

The book of Lamentations contains a whole series of laments concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The author, most likely the prophet Jeremiah, speaks for the whole nation of Israel. Throughout the book he details the many losses that the Israelites suffered in the destruction of the city. He writes of the unspeakable horrors of starvation and cruelty that the people suffered in the siege leading up to the capture of the city. Then once the Babylonians took the city, they ruthlessly killed many of the people. They took the strongest and best of the survivors and marched them off as slaves into exile. They ransacked the temple; they broke down the city walls; they left the streets and houses in ruins. Everything was stripped away, and the Israelites suffered immense loss. What was even worse, the Israelites had brought all this on themselves. They had rebelled against God and defied his commands. And so they were in a large part responsible for the losses they had suffered. The book of Lamentations was written in the aftermath of all this incredible sorrow and loss.

So what do you do when you are faced with sorrow and loss in your life? How do you keep from sinking down under it all? How do you keep the sorrow and troubles of the past from poisoning the present and obscuring the future? How do you find the hope to carry on? That’s what we want to look at in Lamentations this morning.

Let’s look first of all at verses 19-21. In these verses we find Jeremiah remembering all the sorrows that Israel had recently experienced. And the more he dwells on these sorrows, the more sorrowful he becomes. That leads us to the first truth we can learn from these verses. Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow.

I. Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow. (19-21)

Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow. Now that does not mean that you should not express your sorrow. When you experience any kind of loss in your life, it is good and it is right for you to express your sorrow over that loss. We don’t always hear that in church. Some people teach that as Christians we should never be sad, that it is somehow sinful to be sad, that a truly strong, mature and victorious Christian would never be sad. And sometimes as believers we feel this pressure to put on a happy face and pretend that everything is okay even when it’s not. That’s not right, because it is not honest. Read Paul’s letters in the New Testament and you will see that Paul didn’t mind sharing his struggles with others.

Then there are other people who advocate stoicism. Stoicism teaches that you should not express any emotion at all during times of loss. For you Star Trek fans, it’s the Vulcan way of dealing with loss. Stoicism says, “Just resign yourself to your fate. Don’t get upset, don’t complain. Simply accept whatever comes your way without any emotional response at all.” Well, as Christians we don’t believe in fate. We believe in God, which is completely different.

These ideas may all sound good and noble on the outside, but they are not Biblical. God teaches us throughout the Bible that we may and we should express our sorrow during times of trouble. What is the whole book of Lamentations if not a divinely inspired book expressing sorrow during a time of great loss? Read the Psalms and you will find one example after another of people pouring out their hurts and frustrations and disappointments before the Lord in prayer. The book of Romans tells us: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15) And if you’re still not convinced, look at the example of Jesus himself. We read in John 11:35 that Jesus wept and expressed his own personal sorrow at the death of his friend Lazarus.

So, it is good and right for you to express your sorrow. God gave you tear ducts for a reason, so feel free to use them. Cry when you need to, talk about it, pray about it, journal, talk to a friend, draw a picture, write a poem or a song. Whatever it takes, express your sorrow and grief. Let it out. We’re not talking about not expressing your sorrow. What we’re talking about is not dwelling on your sorrow. Expressing your sorrow is healthy. Dwelling on your sorrow is not. Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow.

   A. Dwelling on your sorrow will poison your life with bitterness. (19)

How does it increase your sorrow? First of all, dwelling on your sorrow will poison your life with bitterness. Look at verse 19: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.” The writer remembers. He is dealing with memories. And he uses four words to describe those memories: affliction, wandering, bitterness and gall. Let’s look at each of them.

The word for affliction can be translated “trouble” or “misery,” as in “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” The word for wandering refers to “restlessness” or “straying.” It is used elsewhere in the Old Testament of straying from the Lord. The word for bitterness is the word for the poison “wormwood” or “hemlock,” and the word for gall refers to a bitter or poisonous herb.

So, what is going on in verse 19? The writer is remembering all of his troubles, all of his miseries. He remembers his wanderings, his straying from the Lord. He is partly responsible for his troubles, and so he is probably struggling with guilt here as well. The memories just keep crashing in, and they are poisoning him like a bitter root. You see, bitter memories are like poison. They poison your life, and they poison your relationships. They poison your relationship with God, with your family and with each other. Dwelling on your sorrow will increase your sorrow first of all by poisoning your life with bitterness.

   B. Dwelling on your sorrow will eventually lead you to depression and despair. (20)

Dwelling on your sorrow will also eventually lead you to depression and despair. Look at verse 20. As he dwells on all these bitter memories, the author writes: “I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” This phrase “I well remember them” is an interesting one in the Hebrew. It’s actually the word “remember” used twice – “I remember remember them.” Some of us are so good at remembering the negatives in our life, we don’t just remember them; we twice remember them! In fact we seem to remember them twice as much as anything else in life. And when you twice remember your troubles, when you dwell on the sorrows in your life, that will lead to depression.

You can see that at the end of verse 20: “My soul is downcast within me.” The word downcast means literally “to sink or be weighed down.” Isn’t that an accurate description of depression? You are weighed down by all of your troubles, and you just start to sink beneath the load. And once you start sinking, you lose all sight of hope, and finally you give in to despair. You could paraphrase verse 20: “I twice remember my sorrows, and sink into depression and despair.” You see, dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow. It will poison your life with bitterness, and it will eventually lead you to depression and despair.

   C. Dwelling on your sorrow cannot bring you hope. (21)

And because of all this, dwelling on your sorrows cannot possibly bring you hope. You can’t look up by looking down. You can’t find hope by dwelling on your troubles. Hope is the very opposite of despair. And so in order to find hope you must arrive at a turning point, and that’s what we find in verse 21. The author writes: “Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”

Notice that the author does not deny his sufferings. He does not minimize them or try to rationalize them away. His losses are real, not imagined. He remembers them only too well. In fact he twice remembers them! But now he makes a choice. He chooses not to dwell on them. He “calls to mind” or “chooses to remember” something else instead. And it is because he chooses to remember this “something else” that he has hope.

Dwelling on your sorrow cannot bring you hope. If you want to have hope, you must choose to remember this “something else.” And this “something else” which verse 21 points us towards is God’s faithfulness. Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow. Choosing to remember God’s faithfulness will bring you hope. That is the something else that the author calls to mind. We will spend the rest of our time this morning looking at verses 22-27 where we find a beautiful description of God’s faithfulness to us.

II. Choosing to remember God’s faithfulness will bring you hope. (22-27)

The climax of the whole book of Lamentations actually comes at verse 23: “Great is your faithfulness.” God is not only faithful; his faithfulness is great. His faithfulness is perfect, infinite, overflowing, far beyond human faithfulness. Think of the most loyal, faithful friend you know, maybe it’s your dog – their faithfulness cannot even begin to touch the faithfulness of God. When you choose to remember God’s faithfulness instead of dwelling on your sorrow, you too will find hope instead of bitterness and despair. It makes sense when you think about it. Because God has been faithful in the past, I can trust him with my present and the future as well. Because God is faithful, I have “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” Verses 22-27 specifically emphasize two aspects of God’s great faithfulness. God is faithful in his great love for you. And God is faithful in his goodness to you. Let’s look at God’s great love first.

   A. God is faithful in his great love for you. (22-24)

      1) God’s compassions never fail. (22)

God is faithful in his great love for you. Look at verse 22. “It is because of the Lord’s great love that we are not consumed.” The word “love” here is a word which is used for God’s covenant love and loyalty to his people. It could even be translated “God’s faithful love.” Once again, it is a great love. Not only that, but in this particular verse the word for “love” is actually in the plural. You pick that up in some translations which speak here of God’s “mercies.” It’s the same word used in the plural in Psalm 89:1 – “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” It’s as if the word “love” in the singular is not enough to describe God’s great love for us. God’s love is so great it has to be in the plural! “It is because of the Lord’s mercies, his great faithful love that we are not consumed.”

That word consumed means “to be absolutely finished, to be at the end.” Ever been there? Ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? The end of the road? The end of everything, like you’ve got nothing left to give? That’s what the word “consumed” means. But verse 22 says that because of God’s great love you are not consumed, you are not finished, you are not at the end.

Why? Look at the end of verse 22 – “for his compassions never fail.” The word “compassion” is a beautiful word in the Hebrew. In Hebrew it is literally the word “womb.” And so verse 22 speaks of God’s love towards us in terms of the tender, compassionate love that a mother has for her child that she carries in the womb. This is part of the breathtaking beauty of our God: his power, his might, his strength, his stern and absolute justice, and yet at the same time his tender and compassionate love for his children. Notice that this word is also used in the plural – “his compassions” – to emphasize further God’s wonderful, tender compassion and mercies.

“His compassions never fail.” This phrase “never fail” has a very similar meaning to the word “consumed” earlier in the verse. It also means “to be finished, to be completed, to be at an end.” So when you take all of verse 22 together, it teaches us a very precious truth. You may feel like you are at your end, but you are not finished, because God is not finished. You can never say, “I’m done, I quit!” because God is never done, and God will never quit. He is always there for you! You will not fail, because his compassions never fail. And therefore you have hope. Praise the Lord!

      2) God’s compassions are new every morning. (23)

Not only do God’s compassions never fail. They are renewed for us daily. Look at verse 23: “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” God’s mercies are fresh and new every morning. God never serves you leftovers. His compassions never grow tired or stale. He has fresh, new, tender love and compassion for you every day of the week. God’s love is as certain as the sunrise. Each day when you wake up, take a peek outside and see if the sun came up. If it did, then you know that God’s compassions are new for you his day. Every new morning is a sign of God’s faithfulness and grace.

The changing of the days, the changing of the seasons all testify to God’s “great faithfulness, mercy and love.” It’s like that hymn we often sing: “summer and winter, springtime and harvest,” all testify to God’s faithfulness. Or as we sing it here in Florida, “summer and summer and summer and summer.” I know, we don’t get many seasons down here, but we do get plenty of sunshine! And every new day is a reminder of God’s faithful love: God’s compassions never fail; they are new every morning.

      3) Therefore, make God your portion. (24)

Because of God’s faithful love, the author can say in verse 24: “I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” What is your portion? It is whatever you are waiting for. So, let me ask, what are you waiting for this morning? Are you waiting for a windfall? An inheritance? A change in your circumstances? Whatever is causing your sorrow to go away? Or are you waiting for the Lord? Let me encourage you this morning. Make God your portion. Wait for him. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. God is faithful in his great love for you.

   B. God is faithful in his goodness to you. (25-27)

And then know also that God is faithful in his goodness to you. We see this in verses 25-27. In the original Hebrew all three of these verses begin with the same word – the word “good.” And so these three verses share with us three ways that God is faithful in his goodness to you. And because he is good to you, you need to learn to trust him.

      1) Learn to trust God’s character. (25)

First of all, learn to trust God’s character. Look at verse 25: “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” Learn to trust God’s character. The Lord is good. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. God is good through and through. Thomas Brooks, an old Puritan author put it this way: “God, in that he is good, can give nothing, nor do nothing, but that which is good.” Learn to trust God’s character, even when things don’t seem to be going according to your plans. Thomas Watson, another Puritan writer says this: “If it is good for us, we shall have it; if it is not good for us, then the withholding of it is good.” Why? Because God is good! All the time! It can be no other way. Learn to trust God’s character. “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”

      2) Learn to trust God’s timing. (26)

Secondly, learn to trust God’s timing. We see this in verse 26: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” The word “salvation” here is a word that can mean “salvation or deliverance.” It often refers to salvation from sin, but it can also mean deliverance from anything – from sickness, from your enemies, or from whatever may be causing you sorrow or grief. We always want deliverance now. God wants us to learn patience and trust.

We need to learn to trust God’s timing. God’s timing is always good. God is never early, never late, always on time. But I’ve got to tell you, I sometimes find myself asking him, “Lord, couldn’t you be early just once in a while?” Learn to trust God’s timing instead of yours. “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

      3) Learn to trust God’s discipline. (27)

Learn to trust God’s character, learn to trust God’s timing, and finally, learn to trust God’s discipline. Look at verse 27: “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.” To bear the yoke is to learn submission to God even during the hard times. God uses the difficult times in your life for good to make you strong in him. It is part of his discipline in your life.

Don’t think of discipline in terms of punishment for sin. Rather, God’s discipline is his training process for you. No one is exempt. In fact the book of Hebrews says that God’s is one of the proofs that you are his child. Discipline always comes through adversity. God is strengthening your character and teaching you to trust him through the hard times in your life.

Do you see the word “man” in verse 27? It’s not the usual word for man in Hebrew. It is a word which means “a strong or a mighty man, a warrior.” Or if you were to apply it to a woman, it could mean a strong woman or warrior, you know, like Katniss Everdeen or Xena the warrior princess! How do you become a strong man of God, a strong woman of God, a warrior for the Lord? You have to bear the yoke while you are young. You undergo discipline and training.

Don’t fight God during the hard times. God is being faithful in his goodness to you. Learn to trust God’s character. Learn to trust God’s timing. Learn to trust God’s discipline. “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.”

CONCLUSION: So what do these verses teach us this morning? Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow. But choosing to remember God’s faithfulness will bring you hope.

So let me encourage you this morning: choose to remember God’s faithfulness.
   – God is faithful in his great love for you: his compassions never fail; they are new every morning.
   – God is faithful in his goodness to you: learn to trust his character, his timing and his discipline in your life.

And then, even in the midst of life’s most difficult trials, you will find hope in God. Great is your faithfulness, O Lord!

© Ray Fowler

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