LamLentations 4-5

Life goes on....still Messy

Where are we today even compared to 4 weeks ago when we start this series in Lamentations.

Recap from 3 weeks ago - Let’s be Real 

No Sugar coating 

Life is Messy

Life can be ugly 

Life hurts

God wants us to be honest

2 weeks ago – Pour out your heart

Their grief is too deep for words

My eyes are spent with weeping – my stomach churns

Famine//Disease

Death by sword – killing in the temple and leaders

False prophets

Mocking

We need to pour our hearts out to God - on an index card

Last week - But as we move past this there is hope

vs 21 - I remember, I think of the song on the cd the church made - we will remember .....

vs. 22 His mercy and compassion

vs. 23 Great is thy faithfulness 

vs. 24 I will hope in the Lord

not of man

not of things 

but of God

vs. 25 being patient  and wait

This week we are finishing up with Lamentations and coming to the point of Life goes on but still messy

The Good old days… (Pre Covid) - we can look at what was life pre covid days.

We can say life was better

We can say we all want to go back there

But we can not live in the past. Even thou life is still a struggle and things are not where we want them, we need to move on. Continue to live. Even from 4 weeks ago as we started this series, we are already at the end of January, life goes on. We are still wearing masks, life goes on. We keep hearing all the negativity in this world , life goes on. Still messy but life goes on.

The happy condition of former days in the life of the people of God is contrasted with the present state of humiliation and judgement. Everything and everyone has been affected. There is an appalling sweep to these verses. And the dominant note that comes through is this: the calamity that had overtaken Judah and Jerusalem was a well-merited punishment by God. But life goes on.

The life that we continue to live, and the affects of it is because of sin. This is an example of how others who sin, can affect us is way that we did not even imagine. God does not like sin, and there are consequences of sin. We have to realize that sin of others will change things around us. When the world does not see truth as the Word of God being truth, we need to understand the consequences of living in this world. This is why life is still messy and we do not have all the answers.

Jeremiah (or whoever the author is) does not have the answer to his present suffering. It’s still very messy, and the suffering is still very real. In this final group gathering around the conversation of suffering, focus on the fact that, even though we have hope, we do not have to have all the answers to the brokenness in our world. But we can walk with God through the messiness and confusion of life.

Jeremiah just talked about the hope he had, he was still honest about the horror of his present situation.

Jeremiah, an author of two books of the Bible, did not have his questions answered, and, in fact, left the tension at the conclusion of his poem unresolved. This shows us that it is okay to not have all the answers and still be honest about the challenges life throws our way.

vs. 19

You, O LORD, remain forever;

Your throne from generation to generation

The New King James Version. (1982). (La 5:19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

· When a friend is going through a difficult time, how do you normally respond? What do you try to do for that friend?

· Talk about a time when someone was especially helpful for you during a time of need. What did that person do that stood out to you?

· What are some questions you have for God in this current season of life that are similar to Jeremiah’s questions in verse 20?

· What could it look like for you to not seek easy answers to your current life circumstances, or the life circumstances of others, but rather walk with God in the midst of unanswered questions?

· What scares you about not having the answers you’re looking for?

Announcements

1. Superbowl party ([e-mail]) with their name and description of their talent (song, magic trick, backflip, etc.).

2. Father/Daughter night need to sign up Feb 19th $10 per person.