Hope in Knowing & Obeying the Lord. Lamentations 3-4; Matthew 23

May the mumbling commence!

Hope in the midst of strife and hopelessness – that is what our Lord is to us.  At the heart of the book of Lamentations is the gleaming hope of the Lord present in our lives.  Read it and notice the seeds for some of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount.  From Lamentations chapter three:

The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!

By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 

I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" 

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. 

So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. 

And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline. 

Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord's demands. 

Let them lie face down in the dust; then at last there is hope for them. 

Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them.

Let them accept the insults of their enemies. 

For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. 

Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion

according to the greatness of his unfailing love. 

For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. (Verses 22-33)

The Lord’s unfailing love and amazing mercy and grace are the fuel for our lives.  Let us hope in the Lord and wait patiently for the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Let us submit to God’s discipline and readily obey the Lord’s demands.  In these actions, we will find our hope spring eternal.

But to obey God puts great demands on us.  Love your enemy.  Those are the words of Jesus.  These words echo the Spirit of these two red lines.  Turn the other cheek.  Accept the insults of your enemies.

Our success does not depend on vanquishing our enemies or on our ability to get our way.  Our success is dependent upon following and knowing the Lord deep within our souls.

God does not abandon anyone forever – even our enemies.  Grief and compassion walk hand in hand.  Joy will bloom from hurt and sorrow – if we follow the Way of the Lord.  These things give me an undying hope.  Let’s chase the Spirit and heart of God that undergirds the Word of God.  Let’s practice what we preach – unlike the religious elite of Jesus’ day.  Read from the beginning of Matthew chapter twenty-three:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures.  So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.  They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden.” (Verses 1-4)

So, let’s know and obey our Lord God.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out