I Am the Man

I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath (Lamentations 3:1).
For 18 verses Jeremiah “laments” the problems in his life, describing them figuratively in terms like “He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. Surely against me He has turned His hand repeatedly all the day” (Lamentations 3:2, 3). The “He” under discussion is God. In other words, Jeremiah is saying that God is the Source of all his suffering.

I know there are times it feels like God has abandoned us to the cruelties of life or even that God Himself is purposely causing all these problems in our lives. Maybe you have had these thoughts go through your mind: He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship (Lamentations 3:5), or He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. (Lamentations 3:7); Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer (Lamentations 3:8).

You should know by now that in this column I am going to give you a reason not to give up and “curse God and die” as Job's wife encouraged him to do (Job 2:9). The reason not to give up is demonstrated by Jeremiah himself. Jeremiah was a man of God; there is no question of that.
He is called by Bible students today “the weeping prophet.” His book of Lamentations is one reason for that title, although the book of Jeremiah is also full of reasons for Jeremiah to weep for his people and his God (because of the way they treated Him). Jeremiah and his contemporary prophets in the land of Judah (such as Habakkuk) had much to lament. They were about to be invaded by the world’s most powerful army--Babylon. No one could stand against the might of Babylon and God told the Jews, through Jeremiah and the other prophets, that the only way they could survive was to surrender. God was sending Babylon to punish Judah and no alliance with Egypt or anyone else would deliver them. Things were about to get very bad in Judah. It is for this reason that men like Jeremiah and Habakkuk could write about times being so hard.

In other posts I have referred you to Habakkuk 3:16-19 (and I encourage you to read it again and again). However, this passage in Lamentations 3 has a similar sentiment. After 18 verses of all that God has done to Jeremiah, listen to his conclusion: Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail (Lamentations 3:19-22).

Let me ask you this: When was the last time you felt like God was the reason for all your ills and your response was to hit your knees asking Him for deliverance? Jeremiah shows us that such is the right way to handle problems in our lives. It may be that God has allowed you to suffer for the simple reason that He wants to bring to your mind (remind you of) the same fact that Jeremiah realized: The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease! Do not ever forget this little fact: God’s steadfast love and mercy will always be available to anyone who will humbly come to Him on His terms. Start your week today with the thought that He loves you and so do I.