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Day 359 (Lamentations 1:12-22) “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which has been brought on me, which the LORD inflicted in the day of His fierce anger. From above He sent fire into my bones, and it overpowered them; He spread a net for my feet and turned me back; He made me desolate and faint all day. The yoke of my transgressions was bound; they were woven together by His hands and thrust upon my neck. He made my strength fail; the Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand. The Lord trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord trampled as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. For these things I weep; my eye, my eye overflows with water; because the comforter, who should restore my life, is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed. Zion spreads out her hands, but no one comforts her; the LORD commanded concerning Jacob that those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem became an unclean thing among them. The LORD is righteous, for I rebelled against His commandment. Hear now, all peoples, and behold my sorrow; my virgins and my young men went into captivity. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders breathed their last in the city, while they sought food to restore their life. See, O LORD, that I am in distress; my soul is troubled; my heart is overturned within me, For I have been rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, at home, it is like death. They have heard that I sigh, but no one comforts me. All my enemies heard of my trouble; they are glad that You did it. Bring on the day You announced, that they may become like me. Let all their wickedness come before You and do to them as You did to me for all my transgressions; for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.” War brings trouble to everyone. People often don’t know where to turn, yet when things are at their worst, they pray. They don’t know what else to do. Jeremiah lamented over Jerusalem and all the trouble that came on her because the people disobeyed God and King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, tore down her temple, and took the people captive to Babylon. Nothing stood, and Jerusalem mourned. She cried to God to hear her. She noted that the nations around her were glad at her destruction. As Christians, what do you do when you see trouble in your life? What do you do when you go from crisis to crisis? Do you pray? Do you acknowledge your sin? Or do you rebuke Satan to stop his attack on you? Do you look at your life to find the cause of the trouble? Israel disobeyed God. He promised to send them into captivity if they didn’t turn back to Him and acknowledge their sin and repent of their ways. Do you need to repent? Have you taken stock of your life to see why you face trouble? Who do you blame for your trouble? People often lay the blame for their trouble on someone else, not themselves. Yet, the trouble belongs to the person facing trouble. You can’t blame someone else for your trouble. It’s on you. You need to repent. You need to acknowledge your sin. You need to turn back to God and seek forgiveness. You, not your neighbor, your friend, family member, acquaintance, you. You need to acknowledge your sin and come before God with a repentant heart. Jerusalem said she looked for help from her lovers, but no one came to her rescue. No one will come to your rescue when God comes against you. Jerusalem noted how glad the nations were around her at her disgrace. People will do the same to you. They will be glad when they see your trouble because they know you brought it on yourself. It is time to turn back to God. It is time to fall on your knees in true repentance, acknowledge your sin, and receive His forgiveness. Only then will you see a change in your life. It took seventy years before Israel acknowledged their sin and God brought them home and destroyed Babylon for her part in their destruction. Don’t wait. Acknowledge your sin now and see God’s forgiveness in your life. There’s no reason why Satan should continue to rejoice at your destruction. Repent, turn back to God, and He will bring you back into full fellowship with Him. Let’s pray: Father, You know my sin. I alone am responsible for the trouble facing me. Forgive me and bring me back into fellowship with You so that I can rejoice in my forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 7 July 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay