Stripped but not Bare

Stripped but not Bare

(Lamentations 3:19-40)

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Series Title:  “Joy through Loss”

July 26^th, 2020

Something to think about:

Are you overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God?

It’s easy to notice the goodness of God during the good times, but what about the difficult times of life?  Is God still good when things are going bad?

The prophet Jeremiah, in the Old Testament, was known as the “weeping Prophet,” because of the message God had entrusted to him to give to the people of Israel.  This message was one of judgment.  The nation of Judah was to be overtaken by the Babylonian armies, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where the Jewish people’s epicenter of worship emanated was about to be destroyed, and the whole city of Jerusalem (the capital city of the Jewish people) was about to be burned to the ground in utter destruction.  There was no good news in this message, and Jeremiah’s job was not one anyone would want.

However, after the destruction and the exile of the Jewish people throughout the kingdom of Babylon, Jeremiah (likely the author of the book of Lamentations) wrote a short poetic book during this time.  The five-chapter book of Lamentations in the Old Testament bears the markings and the anguish of shame and disgrace of the Jewish people’s plight.  They have been totally humiliated and brought low by God because of their sin and idolatry.  But, right in the middle of this song of lament is a word of hope, and a message of goodness.  Even amidst the great loss of life, land, and liberty, Jeremiah musters optimism because of the goodness of God.  Let’s take a look…

Turn in your Bible to:  Lamentations 3:19-40

So, what’s the takeaway?

Key Point:  “Even when everything in life seems hopeless, God is good.”

There are three different ways that are mentioned in this passage where the Jeremiah proclaims that God is “good.”  These are mentioned in verses 25, 26, and 27.  Let’s focus in on them today in order to understand why they are important during times of crisis and loss:

• God is good to those who depend on Him.

Lamentations 3:25 (NLT),  The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

• God is good to those who  for salvation from Him.

Lamentations 3:26 (NLT), So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.

• God is good to those who to the of His discipline while they’re young.

Lamentations 3:27 (NLT),  And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline.

Something to take home:

God is good and can be trusted no matter what we face in this life.  Even when the discipline comes from His very hand, He is good.

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV),  ¹¹  My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, ¹²  because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Life his hard, but God is always good.  He can be trusted, especially when times are tough.  He is life, He is love, and in Him there is true joy no matter the circumstances of life.  No matter what situation you may find yourself in, rather than cursing God for what you might consider unfair, try trusting God through the difficulties you face.  We do well to remember the Psalmist’s words as he writes:

Psalm 30:4-5 (NLT),  ⁴  Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. ⁵  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

And, one final word on God’s goodness through discipline.  The writer of the New Testament book, Hebrews, writes…

Hebrews 12:7-11 (NLT),  ⁷  As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸  If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹  Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

¹⁰  For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Key Point:  “Even when everything in life seems hopeless, God is good.”