Get a grip...on hope

Today: Lamentations 1-3:36

Today we're starting the book of Lamentations--a relatively short book that was written at a time when God's people hit bad times. They were taken off into captivity--just as God had prophesied. They rebelled against Him and the captivity was one of the consequences. In this passage, at least one of the writers called it correctly: "God has right on his side. I'm the one who did wrong..."

In the midst of lamenting the sadness of captivity, the God-inspired writer recognizes some amazing truths. Love this:

I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—

the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering,

I keep a grip on hope:
God's loyal love couldn't have run out,

his merciful love couldn't have dried up.

They're created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He's all I've got left.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

to the woman who diligently seeks.

It's a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.

It's a good thing when you're young

to stick it out through the hard times.
When life is heavy and hard to take,

go off by yourself.

Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer.

Don't ask questions:

Wait

for hope to appear.

Don't run from trouble.

Take it full-face.

The "worst" is never the worst.
Why?

Because the Master won't

ever

walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.

His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.

Tomorrow: Lamentations 3:37-5

When God takes trouble to heart

Today: Judges 10-12

Have you ever been around drama people? I'm not talking about people who have a love for Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd Webber--but people who have rollercoaster emotions and relationships?

Thankfully, I haven't been closely tied to many of them. But if you've ever watched a few minutes of a daytime talkshow or "The Bachelor," you probably know what I'm talking about. As I've read the book of Judges, I feel like I'm watching some drama people--God's people. Throughout Judges and even today's passage, they go through a continuous cycle--disobeying and denying God, crying out in desperation and asking for forgiveness, and then returning to God...for awhile anyway. Take a look at this part of the passage:

Then the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to go to war

also against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.

Israel was in a bad way!
The People of Israel cried out to God for help:

"We've sinned against you! We left our God and worshiped the Baal gods!"
God answered the People of Israel:

"When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians—

even Amalek and Midian!—oppressed you

and you cried out to me for help,

I saved you from them.

And now you've gone off and betrayed me,

worshiping other gods.

I'm not saving you anymore.

Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen—

let them get you out of the mess you're in!"
The People of Israel said to God: "We've sinned.

Do to us whatever you think best, but please, get us out of this!"
Then they cleaned house of the foreign gods and

worshiped only God.

And God took Israel's troubles to heart...

I love the last line of this, "And God took Israel's troubles to heart..." Wow. I think God's response to the people is so amazing. Time and time again, He forgave them and took them back after multiple betrayals.

It's exactly like He forgives me every single day when I mess up, when I put other things or other people first, when my motives and attitudes are bad, when I'm a jerk to the people around me....and so many other things. When I simply ask Him for forgiveness and try to turn in a better direction, He takes me back and loves me unconditionally--as if I never messed up in the first place. And when things in my life are messed up--even due to my own missteps--He takes my troubles to heart, just as He did with the Israelites. That kind of love is so amazing that I can't fully comprehend it. I wish that more people had a glimpse of that kind of love--the real kind.

Tomorrow: Judges 13-15

Consistency, strength and God in trouble

Today: Romans 14-16



What happens when people...when Christians....get into trouble?

What if it's trouble they bring on themselves?

How should you and I respond?

And more importantly, how does God respond?



These are some serious questions. In life so far, I've seen people get into trouble and I've been in some myself. I thought that today's passage had some interesting answers, so let's talk about some of the questions again.



What happens when people...when Christians....get into trouble?

What if it's trouble they bring on themselves?

I believe there are different kinds of trouble we face in life. Some is trouble that comes from simply being a human being in a world tainted by sin (e.g. people can be sick, abused by others, poor, etc. through absolutely no fault of their own). And sometimes, it's trouble we bring on ourselves through bad choices or sin. This chapter (and today's post) deals with that kind of trouble, as the passage states:

If the way you live isn't consistent

with what you believe,

then it's wrong.

I've faced this kind of trouble before (and my bet is that you have, too!). When you live inconsistent with what you believe--or what is true--it can tear you up inside. It's living out of sync with your conscience. It's hypocritical.

If it goes on too long, it can make you numb--lifeless, blind to God's truth and deaf to the direction of the Holy Spirit. But there's always hope...

How should you and I respond?

If someone in your life is struggling, here's what the passage says to do:

Those of us who are strong

and able in the faith

need to step in and lend a hand

to those who falter,

and not just do what is most convenient for us.

Strength is for service, not status.

Each one of us needs to look after

the good of the people around us,

asking ourselves, "How can I help?"

Sometimes when people struggle, we avoid them...like they have some kind of contagious disease. Or when people struggle, a lot of Christians want to say the right things like, "I'll pray for you" or even "God has a plan." Those things may be true...but they may not be what the person struggling needs.

They may need you to listen. Really. They may need you to call or visit. They may need you to babysit or cook a meal. They may need you to mow their lawn or help them laugh.

How does God respond to people in trouble?

God's response to trouble is so incredible when you think about how people characterize other religious figures (like Buddha, for example)...or even people (like celebs or politicians) that are idolized. Here's what the passage says:

...That's exactly what Jesus did.

He didn't make it easy for himself

by avoiding people's troubles,

but waded right in and helped out.

"I took on the troubles of the troubled,"

is the way Scripture puts it.

Even if it was written in Scripture long ago,

you can be sure it's written for us...

May our dependably steady

and warmly personal God

develop maturity in you

so that you get along with each other

as well as Jesus gets along with us all.

I love this description of Jesus as the God who waded in trouble. He wasn't afraid to deal with people whose lives were messy...He picked them up in their mess and helped them out.

The mark of a mature faith is to do the same--to get along with people, to help them, to stand with them in good times and in bad. Be a dependable, warmly personal friend--just as Jesus is that kind of friend to you.

Tomorrow: I Corinthians 1-4