Jeremiah is sitting in a cave overlooking the devastation of Jerusalem. The city is completely destroyed. It has been under siege for months and months. Supplies cut off, the walls finally broken down and murders and carnage left behind. Devastating!
• The smell of decaying bodies fills the air
• He sees poor starving people picking through the rubble looking for food
• Everything he prophesied has happened and He’s weeping over the city
The word “Lamentations,” speaks of “Sorrow.” In the midst of the horror the people have experienced in Jerusalem having had Nebudchnezzer and his army for approximately thirty months attack them, some historians believe. During that time the people could not leave to get resources and were cut off from supplies and horrific things happened and when the walls were finally broken through the people were slaughtered, persecuted, and terrible atrocities took place.
And in the midst of such devastation, long, long months of turmoil, in this moral depravity and spiritual darkness he THINKS… “But this I call to MIND, therefore I have HOPE..” He in turn on thinking right, passes on Truth about the Lord to elevate his own and the people’s minds, and hearts, to one of Hope, genuine Hope, and Confident expectation based on who God is! He sees devastation, it is real, horrific! But he THINKS and knows based on Thinking right about God… this is not the end. This is not the final chapter. There is a Hope for the present, based on a bright, God-given Future and so he shares this with the people in the midst of despair!
There is a Hope… There is a good future ahead! Not based on “positive thinking ” that has no firm foundation, but based on the character of God and the truth of God!
“At the south of Africa, the sea was generally so stormy, when the frail barks of the Portuguese went sailing south, that they named it the Cape of Storms; but after that cape had been well rounded by bolder navigators, they named it the Cape of Good Hope. In your experience, you had many a Cape of Storms, but you have weathered them all, and now, let them be a Cape of Good Hope to you.” (Spurgeon)
Jeremiah gives the people some light, and hope for a better future. And there are FOUR WORDS that we can see he imparts and indeed for all of us to see there is a better future for us all and FOUR KEY WORDS used to point towards it are.
- HOPE – it begins with his recall, what he chooses to think about. He replays in his thinking what he knows to be true of God, His character, and in doing so he finds Hope.“But this I call to mind…” Our minds are so powerful, that they can take us down into the depths of despair when left to think about lies, unfavorable circumstances, and thoughts that “God does not care, God does not exist, God cannot be trusted, God has abandoned us, me….” This is why the Scripture calls us to “renew our minds” – {Read Rom 12:2}. Paul in Phil 4:8 tells us to think on truth, to choose to cause our mind to dwell on truth. “Whatever is TRUE, LOVELY, PRAISEWORTHY… let your mind dwell there…” set your affections on things above where Christ is…” -{ Read Phil 4;8; Col 3:1-2}. YOUR MIND IS THE GRID FOR THINKING RIGHT, as you expose and apply His Word. This Hope is based on Truth, revealed about God, His character from His Word. This is not a “wishy-washy” “hope so” like a gambler, that is based on “chance,” rather than a certainty, based on a solid foundation. Our “Hope,” …” confident expectation” is based on who God is, and what He says will happen, will happen! Biblical Hope, is “confident expectation,” In God. The strength of hope is in God’s ability and RELIABILITY To fulfill All Of His Promises! The writer’s “‘Hope,” is a result of what he recalls and places at the forefront of his thinking regarding the truth about the Living God, namely His…
- LOVE – The writer’s hope is based on “the Lord’s great love.” Note his foundation is a Person- “The Lord!’ And flowing forth from Him, His character revealed and Him in action. The word for “love” used here is “hesed,” meaning ‘Great love.’ It is a love of deep unbreakable, unchanging commitment, a loyal love that is unending. A Love that takes responsibility, a covenant-keeping love of caring and unending commitment for another. It is a very deep and committed love, a love that stays loyal, one that accepts responsibilities. It is a love that gives and gives and gives. For it is the nature of God who is love! It is a love from God that is not based on the merits of people, for all deserve Hell for the rebellion of our lives against Him. We cannot earn, bribe, or deserve His Love. It’s God in action. His love on display.” And “ḥeseḏ” love is shown to His people because of God’s commitment. The Lord brought Israel into existence, made them His own, and though they have failed and though that failure has caused dire consequences, He will not give up on them. It’s a love that’s unflinching and unending, a firm love that never gives up on His people.” {Northern Seminary}
- FAITHFULNESS – “ḥeseḏ” love flows because of God’s compassion. As the writer says: “His compassion never fails.” The word “faithfulness” comes from a root meaning “be permanent, secure, and reliable.” His compassion never fails for He is faithful. His love is permanent. His faithfulness is Consistent and permanent. Reliable. You can count on Him! There is no inconsistency with Him. It is who He is. Faithful, and reliable to Keep His Word, He has the power to do so and the love to execute each and every promise! Hope is founded on love, that is reliable, consistent, permanent, and no need to doubt Him. As He was, so He is and forever will be – Faithful, consistent, reliable, permanent!“But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope…”
Thinking Right on God produces Hope. Hope based on His Love, who is Faithful!
4. PORTION – The Lord Himself, is his lot in life! While we often put our “hope” and trust in such misplaced “hope” such as materialism for our security, and significance, Jeremiah goes beyond the superficial, the temporal, which can be destroyed, lost in the blink of an eye to Him who is Eternal, the God of “ALL HOPE” -{Read Romans 15:13}; God is LOVE -{Read 1 John 4:7-8}; and He is LIFE { Read Acts 17:28; John 1:3-4; Job 33:4; John 14:6,}. The Lord Himself is his portion.
What is life to you?
Where do you find your significance?
Where have you placed your security?
Where do you seek your satisfaction from?
Paul answered, “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Like Jeremiah, Paul’s security, significance, and satisfaction was found in a Person- The LORD!
Hope, that blessed assurance, concrete surety in the midst of trials, and devastation, that GOD IS SOVEREIGN, HE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL, His PURPOSES are being worked out, and by His grace through the empowering of the Holy Spirit through the enlightening of His Word we can have perseverance, encouragement from the Scriptures and HOPE– {Read Romans 15:4-5}.
TRUTH TRANSFORMS WHEN HEARD AND APPLIED.
THINKING RIGHT ABOUT GOD…
PRODUCES… HOPE…
FOUNDED ON…LOVE…
ON HIM WHO IS… FAITHFUL..
WHOM WE HAVE MADE OUR…PORTION!
“Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”-{Lamentations 3:21-24}.