Praise or Lament?

Lamentations 3:22-24 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

The season in which we live has been a time of extremes. From joy to heartache, life and death, much of the world has experienced and witnessed a myriad of events shaping our world.

The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have not been unprecedented but for this generation they are significant. Each generation is unique, each people group has a culture and system that is distinct for their time.

The ways people respond to tragedy and trials are dependent not just on the condition of the culture but by the way they perceive the circumstances they have endured.

How we Perceive

Perception is a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something.

When a major event occurs in life, how do you perceive it?

Mark 4:11-12 “And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

Some when hearing bad news might grow despondent and a cascade of sad emotions often grows to a point of depression. When we feel powerless during the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or just during sickness and bad news, I must ask where have I placed my hope?

Hope in the Savior ensures the promises He has given will lead me from insecurity to peace.

Good Grief

To lament is to grieve loss, either through sorrow or regret. Grieving can work for the good when the process brings reflection, insight, or even healing.

Lamentations 3:25-27 “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.”

When we grieve, we can gain insight—the value of something or someone we have lost can be more apparent. Sometimes we lose privilege, position, or power.

The lamentation of Jeremiah was regarding the soon and coming loss of the nation of Israel, their way of life was about to drastically change. Even before the subjugation of Israel, the Lord brought judgement upon the people for their wickedness…..yet it still wasn’t enough to persuade them.

Lamentations 3:28-30 “Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.”

Being full of reproach, Israel felt disappointment for their actions. It was the first step to repentance and ultimately humility for Israel.

Trouble comes when people can’t see the judgement that is looming. They attribute bad luck to their circumstances, they make excuses by blaming others or they simply grow angry and distant because they feel like God should be blessing them, not making them go through the suffering.

Bad Culture

Some believe that by living in America they should be living with privilege all the time. A correct view of life has been greatly hindered by many people in this country. The rise of socialism is a direct result of people thinking they deserve wealth and prosperity, then when it doesn’t happen despair can set in.

The weakness of a culture is often reflective of the mindset it has established.

When I witness the faith of believers in very poor regions, I see churches living in power. The unity of believers in countries that are very poor who are treated as second class citizens, is much deeper and profound than in regions that are accepting of any form of religious expression.

Can we battle through the haze of indifference in a culture that seems to drive for equality and acceptance? Everyone wants their viewpoint to be considered valid. In a utopian world, it would be the expectation but in a fallen world, acceptance is often found in worldly culture.

True validity is found in God’s Word.

The One who established the Universe is the One who commands righteousness, holiness, and Truth. If a position does not correlate with the structure and standard by which God ordained, it is considered unworthy.

The violation of God’s Truth results in judgement.

Lamentations 3:37-39 “Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That woe and well-being proceed?
Why should a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?”

Love Expressed

When the Lord renders judgement for sin, He expresses love. When trials come and the way is unclear, He expresses love. When the things you have placed your hope are removed, He expresses love.

How you perceive and receive the acts of the Lord will determine how you grow through them.

Lamentations 3:40-42 “Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.”

The Lord doesn’t pardon sin for no reason. His Holiness demands reparations and a simple sorry doesn’t cut it. Being sorry is to regret the action but God’s correction is for your well being. Feeling sorry for a crime for which your suffering is to regret the consequences for being caught, showing repentance is to turn away from the sin.

Sorrow doesn’t indicate a change of heart…repentance does.

To bring a heart of repentance before God is to say…I am willing to change. I don’t want to go in this direction anymore, I want to go in your direction. I want you to lead me Lord, I want to stop trying to figure out my circumstances on my own. I want to live by your moral law and not by the moral obscurity of this world. I choose you Jesus.

Lamentations 3:49-50 “My eyes flow and do not cease,
Without interruption,
Till the Lord from heaven
Looks down and sees.”

The Lord sees our hearts, He knows our minds, and our intentions are not hidden from Him. We may fool those around us, but He is wise to all that we are.

If you are to be honest with Him, you have to start to be honest with yourself. One of the great hurdles of progressing is to learn to know yourself. For those who have learned to lie, they eventually believe the lies are true.

Every destructive tendency leads to downfall…pain…suffering, and eventually death if left unchecked.

Do you feel hopeless? Living by faith in God requires courage.

Lamentations 3:22-24 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
they are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

There is a great hope. Everyday the Lord’s mercies are new. Everyday He is faithful. When we look to Him for our portion, cups of life are overflowing. He has compassion on us, even when we fail (and we will), He is patient with us.

We must take your eyes off this world and place them on Jesus, then you will progress from lament to Praise—no matter what you go through.