Lamentations 3:22-36 (1)

Matthew Henry is his devotional commentary on Lamentations penned the following 8 statements that express the great truths which give hope to God’s people in the most hopeless of circumstances.  We have added brief comments to Henry’s thoughtful words.

1.     That, as bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. (v22)

This is not a joke.  Even in the situation Jeremiah is facing, the destruction of his beloved Jerusalem, things could be worse.  The key thought is, “owing to God’s mercy.”  The Apostle Paul talked about his own afflictions, saying he was hard-pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, and so on (2 Cor. 4:7-12).  The writer to the Hebrews encourages us, in our hard times, to “consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin” (Heb. 12:1-4).  Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

2.     That even in the depth of their affliction they still have experience of the tenderness of the divine pity and the truth of the divine promise. (v22b-23)

We may have the thought that our situation is beyond help.  We see no way out so we assume that in fact there is no way out.  But the promises of God are not made for good times or times of moderate difficulty.  Nothing is too difficult for God (Jer. 32:17,27).  No trial is beyond His ability.  1 Cor. 10:13 is packed with truth for believers concerning God’s faithfulness in trial.  Those words are for our darkest hour, even the hour of death!  They are new every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness.

3.     That God is, and ever will be, the all-sufficient happiness of His people, and they have chosen Him and depend upon Him to be such. (v24)

A portion is the part of something we possess.  Each tribe received a piece of land as their portion.  The Levites received no land but God was their portion (Num. 8:20).  God was to be Israel’s portion, as opposed to the false gods of the nations around them.  In Psalm 73 the writer was perplexed seeing the wicked prosper as the righteous suffered.  But when he came to God in the sanctuary he realized that with God he had all he needed.  “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:25-26)  Paul knew this when he said, “For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).  ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul; ‘therefore I hope in Him.

When I have lost all in this world I have not lost God.

If I have God, that is enough.

Therefore I hope in Him.