Lamentations 3:19–26
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
Reflection
Wormwood and gall, don't you just love this expression. Well, maybe not. The expression is a description of a homeless and bitter life. Life is not always happiness. Although we in the United States believe in the right to seek and pursue happiness, sometimes all we get is bitterness and homelessness. Happiness is not all that it's cracked up to be. But, instead of happiness, what about joy in the Lord.
God freely gives us this hope and love for a joy in the presence of God. A bliss to be in the presence of our Creator. An emotion and delight to be with our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus. God gives us the joy of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in a life that includes sin, death, suffering along with happiness and especially with the goodness and love and salvation of the Lord.
In this hope for joy and love, we wait. It is good for us to wait upon the Lord. It is good to be quiet and wait. Joy will follow in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment;
his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Yes, we have the promise of a joy and love that never ends. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, I wait patiently for you. I wait in hope and love and the expectation of great joy... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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