Have You Lamented Lately?

DAY TWENTY EIGHT: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Read Jeremiah 17:1-18

"...blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence...You alone are my hope in the day of disaster." Jeremiah 17:7 & 17 (NLT)


Many people misread the book of Jeremiah. They think it is a judgmental book filled with the stern warnings of a harsh prophet. Actually, it is a book of hope from the loving heart of God channeled through the life of a tenderhearted pastor.

Like Jesus, Jeremiah wept for the way people suffered. This spiritual shepherd with a tough job even wrote another book entitled, "Lamentations," because of the magnitude of his tears. To "lament" is to express sorrow or mourning. As "The Weeping Prophet," no one was more troubled over the plight of his fellow man than Jeremiah, and no one showed it more.

Where do we find the strength to enter into the sufferings of others as Jeremiah did? It comes only by making the Lord our "hope and confidence." He alone is our "hope in the day of disaster."

When we roll up our sleeves and open our hearts to the suffering in the world around us we will experience a portion of their pain. We will share in their tears. That is how it should be.

But we cannot continue to serve others without a consistent inflow of hope in God. We will grow tired. We will struggle. We will lose confidence. But we will be blessed when we make the Lord our hope!

Action step for today: Share someone's suffering.