Read Lamentations 5:1-22

Forgotten and forsaken. Abandoned and alone. Disowned and despised.

Those are some of the words that seemed to have run through Jeremiah’s mind in this final chapter of his lament. Because of their sinful disobedience, God used the Babylonians to bring punishment on the people of Judah. Many were taken off into exile. Others stayed behind but lived in unthinkable conditions in the ruins of Jerusalem. Although Jeremiah knew that sin was the root cause of their experiences (v. 7), he still wondered if maybe God had forgotten or maybe even rejected them (vv. 1, 19-22).

Of course, the reality is that God hadn’t forgotten. He would be true to His promises to Abraham from years gone by (Gen. 12:1-3). Although He had decreed that the exile would last 70 years (Jeremiah 25:8-14), still He would bring it to an end. He had neither forgotten nor forsaken them.

Have you ever prayed a prayer like Jeremiah’s? In the midst of some of the greatest challenges of life, have you ever outlined your suffering to Him and asked, “Hey, do you remember me? Have you forsaken me?” Probably all of us have done that.

In those moments, it is important that you find the answer to that question in His promises…not in your circumstances. While our life circumstances may seem to say that He has turned His back, His promises depict the opposite. Remind yourself of these great truths:

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” (Heb. 13:5, 6)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38, 39)

As we live in a world that is still reeling under the impact of the fall, we will experience circumstances that are unexplainable and that can be falsely interpreted. Keep your focus riveted on the truth that God loves and is with His children.

sbk