Life is Hard, God is Good - Lamentations 3:21-26

Introduction

Marshall and Susan Shelley were blessed with a daughter, Mandy, whom they loved with all their hearts. Mandy was born with microcephaly, meaning she had a small brain. Throughout the day, the Shelley’s would watch as their little girl suffered from seizures, and their lives were filled with constant doctor’s visits, surgeries, and medications. She’s written in a 1996 Christianity Today article about the trials of the sleepless nights and the seemingly endless tears that were their norm. And, she writes of the marital tensions that began to surface as a result.

Unexpectedly, Susan became pregnant a second time. Elated and nervous, she met with a doctor who informed her that her baby was severely malformed. The aorta wasn’t attached correctly, portions of the brain were missing, and he had a cleft foot, tongue, and palate. The doctor assured them that the tests revealed a baby incompatible with life and encouraged them to abort. But, they refused. Susan gave birth to a baby boy and held him for the entire span of his life, a mere two minutes. The Shelley’s named him “Toby,” which is short for the Hebrew name Tobiah, which means “God is good.” Marshall shared this story at Wheaton College, and when he did, he concluded his story by summarizing their experience: “Life is hard, and God is good.”

God’s Word

That’s a good summary of the book of Lamentations. The original title of the book wasn’t Lamentations — that’s the Greek title. The original Hebrew title given to this short book of poems by Jeremiah was “How?” “How in the world could God let this happen?” These are a series of laments are written in the aftermath of Babylon’s seige of Jerusalem, and they were the darkest days. Babylon has blockaded the city for so long that God’s people resulted in cannibalism with mothers eating their own children to survive. The city had been sacked, and the Temple had been destroyed. Now, the prophet asks “How?” But, in the midst of the darkest darkness, we find some of the brightest hope — words you’ve heard though you may not know from where. I want you to see Bright Hope Amidst Deep Darkness (Headline):

God’s “mercies” are “fresh.”

There are two different perspectives of the darkness in view, and they’re two of the same reasons we can find ourselves so deep in darkness that we lose hope. For Judah, they are suffering because of their sin. God had pleaded with them to turn back, but they had refused. Now, their lives were ruined, and they were living in darkness. Jeremiah shows us the other perspective. Much of chapter 3 is in the first person, and he’s witnessed the worst of the worst and suffered the deepest of pain, not because of his sin but because of his nation’s sins.

Lamentations 3:21 “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:”

Our lives can be ruined because of our sin. Our lives can be ruined because of others who wound us with their sin. Our lives can be ruined because of sin’s effects in the world. But, whatever the reason darkness is closing in around you, Jeremiah shows us that you must aim your thoughts at the light so that the darkness doesn’t win. That’s what he’s doing when he “calls to mind…hope.” He "calls to mind” who God is, and thus why he still has hope.

His mercies never “end.”

Lamentations 3:22 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;”

It looked like God had stopped loving them. Jeremiah looked around at the condition of the city, and it was in ruins. He looked at the condition of the people, and they appeared even more ruined than the city. But then, he lifted his eyes to a higher horizon. He lifted his eyes so that he could see more than just his momentary situation, so that he could see who God had always been and must still be now. This wasn’t the first time God’s people had suffered because of their sins. This wasn’t the first time they should’ve been forgotten by God. Every other god would have, but their God was different. His love was “steadfast.” That is, it was loyal and devoted and unwavering. There was no decision they could make that would end God’s love for them. His love “never ceases.” It “never comes to an end.”

The ESV has the word “mercies” in the second line. It’s meant to clarify “steadfast love” in the first line. Notice it isn’t “mercy” singular, but “mercies” plural. That is, there’s more in view here than mere forgiveness. Forgiveness is only one strand of God’s manifold “mercies.” The word can also be translated as “compassions,” which helps us to understand what Jeremiah means. It’s a term usually reserved for how mothers care for their children. It’s a word for nurture and devoted care, even though the creature can’t do anything for you. And, that’s how God loves his people. He doesn’t forgive them because He has to. He doesn’t have compassion on them because He feels sorry for them. He nurtures them as they cry through the night because He loves them.

God’s love is more dependable, more pure, more loyal than even your mother’s love. Your mother doesn’t stop loving you because of what you’ve done. She always loves you because your her child. Do you see the picture? There’s more mercy in God than there is brokenness in you. There’s more compassion in God there is pain in you. There’s more forgiveness in God than there is sin in you. You’ll never find the bottom.

And...

His mercies are never “stale.”

Lamentations 3:23 “they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

When Israel was in the wilderness, they woke up to new manna every day. If they tried to collect the bread of the previous morning to save, it spoiled quickly. God didn’t want them living on leftovers. He wanted them to experience and depend upon his kindness anew every day. Every day is a new day for faith. Every day is a new day of God’s faithfulness. That is, “They are new every morning.” When you wake up in the morning after a good night’s sleep, you feel refreshed. The morning gives you a fresh start. But, that’s how God is all day, every day and all night, every night. He’s always refreshed. That’s why his mercy is so different than ours. God’s mercy, God’s compassion, God’s love, God’s devotion never grows weary like we do. So, Jeremiah changes from speaking about God to speak to God. “Great is your faithfulness!”

You may have exhausted the mercies and love of your family. You may have exhausted the mercies and love of your spouse. You may have exhausted the mercies and love of your children or your family. But, you haven’t exhausted God’s. That’s a beam of light in the darkest night. You don’t have to live on leftover mercy. You don’t have to live on diminished love. God offers to you the same quality of mercy known by every generation. “Great is your faithfulness!”

God’s “grace” is “satisfying.”

I’ve always had to learn things the hard way. It was never lost on my mom that she had a very curious child, dangerously curious. And so, she would make a point to really try to drive home to me why I shouldn’t do dumb things like play with fire and electricity. Along these lines, I remember once that she really made clear that I should not mess with plugs and light sockets. Well, one day, I was at my grandmother’s house, and my mom wasn’t around. So, I had to know. And, I stuck my finger into a live light socket. And, guess what? Turns out mom was right! And now, you all know what’s wrong with me. But, I’ll tell you this, I haven’t forgotten that lesson in 30 years.

We often have to learn by personal experience what others have tried to tell us, don’t we? By his grace, God tells us who we are we are and what we need. But, we usually have to learn through personal experience. That is, we usually have to learn how good the light is by experiencing the darkness. God was teaching Judah, and He’s teach us that...

He is “what” we “need.”

Lamentations 3:24 ““The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.””

Jeremiah is calling to memory the familiar words of David. “The Lord is my portion.” It’s the language of the covenant. It means that no matter how little I have so long I have the Lord I have enough. “The Lord is all I have, and the Lord is all I need.” It’s statement that explains how Judah had gotten into the condition she was in, and it’s a statement that explains the hope she has to get out of it. The Lord was all Judah needed, but she didn’t believe it. So, chasing after more — more prosperity through more gods — she lost everything. But, the hope that they had now that they had lost everything else was that they still had the Lord. And, He was still enough. That’s hope.

Like Judah, we may say that Jesus is all we need, but we have a hard time actually believing it and living like it. But, when life strips you bare, it’s one of the clearest discoveries that God’s people make. Sitting at the end of a chemotherapy needle teaches you that God is your only hope. Standing at the graveside of your child teaches you that only God can help you keep walking. Lying in your bathroom floor after your husband’s affair teaches you that nothing here can satisfy. Your greatest need isn’t a more comfortable life or a more luxurious life. Your greatest need isn’t a beautiful family or good health. Your greatest need is a reliably compassionate and dependably present God.

And, the good news is that...

He is “better” than we “deserve.”

Lamentations 3:24 ““The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.””

The concept of God being our “portion” carries with it the idea that He’s the source of everything we need. And, that He’s the source of everything that we have. It’s a way for Jeremiah to recall how good God has been to his people with a look forward to knowing how God He will continue to be. So, here is Jeremiah looking at utter darkness around him and recognizing that his hope is not found within himself. It’s not found within Judah. It’s not found within their personal resources to fix what they have done. They must “hope IN HIM.”

Any hope to be found is in God, not us. That’s why Karma just won’t do. Many Christians are adopting Karma because it’s a cultural catchphrase, but there’s nothing more anti-gospel or anti-hope than Karma. Karma says the hope you have is found in you. You can do enough good to deserve good. But, grace says: your hope is not that you’re good; your hope is that God is good. Taylor Swift has a song out right now called “Karma.” She says that it’s going to come around and that Karma is a breeze in your hair on the weekend. But, Karma isn’t a breeze in your hair on the weekend; it’s a boulder to bear until your life ends. God offers you grace that is far better than what you deserve. He offers you what only Christ deserves. It’s not coming back around. It’s been nailed to his cross. Isn’t that more satisfying? Hope isn’t found in you; it’s found in him. Aren’t you glad?

God’s “goodness” is “dependable.”

You learn whom you can depend upon through your experiences. That’s why you don’t take your deepest burdens to people you’ve just met. Six years ago, I’m able to tell you now that I was very near to a nervous breakdown. I was not well. I remember one Friday in March that I was home with Sara, and she was taking a nap. And, I just started to weep and weep. I wanted to quit everything. I wanted to stop everything. I was just completely overwhelmed in a way that I had never experienced before or since. And, the only thing that I could think to do was to call Andrew. And, when he answered, I couldn’t even make a sound. I could only cry. But, my experience with Andrew had taught me that he was a safe place for me to go.

God teaches us of his dependability through experience, particularly hard experiences. In that vein, Jeremiah begins to discuss the classroom of suffering and the responsibility we have as students. That is, when you’re living in the darkness, there are some things you should do in order to learn all that God intends for you to learn.

We must “wait patiently.”

Lamentations 3:25–26 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

The night is always waiting for the morning. And, the night is always certain that the morning is coming. That’s the imagery that Jeremiah is using. He’s living in the darkest night, but he’s waiting patiently because he is certain that the morning is yet to come. It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming. The school of suffering is a waiting room. But, it’s not a waiting room where good news is a long shot. It’s not a waiting where the cure might not come. It’s a waiting room where Good News is certain. The resurrection is certain.

You’re waiting on a dependable hope because your hope is in God’s dependable goodness. Jeremiah realizes that God’s goodness is more dependable than his eyesight. Life is hard, but God is good. That’s what he realizes. Do you realize that? Are you in the waiting room right now? Does everything around you look bad and broken? Do you open the bills that come in and see bad? Do you turn on the news and see bad? Do you go to a lonely house and see bad? Do you look at an empty nursery and see bad? Oh, you’re in the waiting room. But, God’s goodness is more dependable than your eyesight. Train your imagination to run wild with all the ways that God might sustain you, and then watch him exceed your expectations.

But, waiting isn’t just about patience. It’s about active faith.

We must “hope actively.”

Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

We think of waiting as a pretty passive concept. It’s not sitting in a room scrolling Facebook until your name is called. But, the parallel word for “wait” is “seek.” They’re meant to be understood as synonyms. That is, waiting requires faith, and faith is always expressed through faithfulness. This is what we’re witnessing in Jeremiah as he recoils from the brokenness around him due to no fault of his own. As Charles Spurgeon once put it: “Trust God where cannot trace him.” That is, our responsibility in the dark night of the soul, our responsibility in the waiting room of suffering is to live for God when you don’t understand God. That’s Biblical hope. It’s not passive. It’s active. “God, I wish you’d fix this right now, but I’ll trust your timing and continue living for you.” “God, I don’t see how any good can come of this, but I’ll trust that you’re dependably good and I’ll keeping living faithfully for you any way.”

That is, it’s to look at your tiny little child that you have to give back to the Lord and name him, “Tobiah — God is good.” Because even though life is hard, even though our suffering is real, even though our brokenness is deep, God is good.

“Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”