The
very brief Book of Lamentations reminds me how short the path to
restoration can be. Taking inventory of the damage following a
personal disaster can leave us a wreck, or lead us to renewal; it all
depends on how long we stay in that “woe is me” place. These 5
chapters serve as an example of the steps to full recovery. Chapter
1 describes the confusion and anger after the fall of Jerusalem
following the Babylonian invasion. Trauma usually results in shock,
so we don’t always accurately assess things at first. Being alone
at that time is not a good thing. Jeremiah writes what he sees
through the anguish. Remember he had warned the people, but they did
not listen. “How deserted lies
the city, once so full of people!”
He sees Jerusalem as a widow, “she,
who once
was great… Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks“.
All that she had is no more, “All
her friends
have betrayed her… there is no one to comfort her… she finds no
resting place… no one comes to her appointed festivals“.
The city is empty and damaged beyond repair with no defense, no
resources and no hope. Jeremiah comments to himself, “The
Lord has brought her grief
because of her many sins“.
Galatians 6:7 teaches, “Do not
be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows“.
Is it time for a life inventory?
Remembering
how much they had before only magnifies the loss. “All
the splendor
has departed… Jerusalem
remembers all the treasures that
were hers in
days of old“. During
prosperity we have lots of companions, but during her time of need,
“There was no one to help her…
her enemies looked at her and
laughed at her destruction“.
Jeremiah describes a city that was unfaithful, “and
so has become unclean“.
Everything was publicly exposed, “They
have all seen her naked… All who honored her despise her… Her
filthiness clung to her… she
did not consider her future“.
In short, “the enemy has
triumphed“.
Jeremiah
writes from the perspective of the now humiliated city. What began
as innocent flirting turned ugly. She realized too late that fun can
go too far, “The enemy laid
hands on all her treasures… pagan nations enter her sanctuary“.
Jerusalem rejected the God who adored her and after everything was
ruined, she groans, “Look,
Lord, and consider, for I
am despised… Is any suffering like my suffering?”
And he describes her now, “My
sins… have been hung on my neck“.
Shock is wearing off and the new reality is painful, “The
Lord has rejected all
the warriors in my midst… This is why I weep… No one is near to
comfort me“. Hear her words
of warning to others considering a fling, “The
Lord is righteous, yet I
rebelled… Listen, all you peoples;
look on my suffering… I am in
torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most
rebellious“. After the anger
we can sometimes see our errors and more importantly look for the
path to correction. Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of the nation
pleads for God’s mercy, “Let
all their wickedness come before You; deal with them as You have
dealt with me“. How had God
dealt with Jeremiah? God showed mercy to Jeremiah, and then Jeremiah
showed mercy to those he encountered. His message was simple, God
loved them and wanted to restore them all they needed was a first
step of faith, “Only
acknowledge your guilt”
(Jeremiah 3:13). Is it time to rebuild?