Lamentations 3: 16-19 – He hath made my teeth to grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the LORD.” The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!
Was this you during 2020 and 2021? If not, consider yourself lucky, for many people – maybe someone you know – were burdened with these thoughts and feelings during the current pandemic.
When the going gets tough and the future looks bleak, it is easy to give up, become confused and sink into the depths of self-doubt and depression. What to do when caught in this downward spiral? Antidepressants sometimes help; counseling – good; yoga and mindfulness activities possible.
The poet who wrote Lamentations announces his plan in verses 21-24: But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I will hope in him.”
Thomas O. Chisholm summed this up in the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”:
“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth;
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings a!! mine with ten thousand beside!”
PRAYER: In good times and in tough times, may we always keep our faith and hope in You, who sent Your son Jesus to be our strength and source of courage to face all that confronts us.
Amen.
Arland Compton