How Can I Find Hope in the Middle of Sorrow?Sample

DAY TWO | GOD WILL ALWAYS HEAL THE LAMENTATIONS OF OUR HEART.

After searching for books in the Bible to understand how hope can be found in the midst of sorrow, I discovered and began studying the book of Lamentations.

Let me tell you about the book of Lamentations. Originally, it was part of Jeremiah as one book, but later it was separated into two. Both books focus on the same event – the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah predicts it, and Lamentations looks back on it. The book has five chapters, all mourners' poems:

Chapter 1 - Jeremiah mourns for Jerusalem

Chapter 2 - God's anger at sin

Chapter 3 - Hope in the midst of affliction

Chapter 4 - God's anger is satisfied

Chapter 5 - Jeremiah pleads for restoration

Every year, the book of Lamentations is read publicly at Tisha B'av, a fast commemorating various tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history. During this ceremony, they chant from Lamentations and recite mourners' prayers while sitting on the ground or stools.

If we think about how we cry out in times of sadness and pain, we usually don't stand up, do we? We fall to our knees or sit down. I remember in 2018, when I lamented and cried out to the Lord, I fell to my knees, wept before our Father's feet on the floor, and cried out for help.

What I find incredible about this book is that in the middle of all the affliction in chapter 3 of Lamentations, there is HOPE! Only God can deliver His people from sin. Without Him, there is no comfort or hope for the future.

Let's read His word from Lamentations 3:22-24:

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!'"

There is safety and comfort in this passage. Just as I spoke about yesterday, He never moves; He is always with us, loving us and wanting us to trust and have faith that He can and will bring us out of sorrow and difficult times. We just have to trust Him.

Let me be honest; during the three years that followed my husband's death and when I was in the eye of my storm, I put my hope in everything other than Him. It was much easier to find comfort in other things such as alcohol and marijuana than it was to admit that I was totally lost. So, it is not so easy to think or feel that God’s promise is available, ready and waiting for you.

Maybe you are in a situation where you are waiting for a promise, but amidst all the debris of life, you can't see any sign of hope. Perhaps you have done something so bad that you think God can't forgive you. Maybe you are so ashamed that you are trying to hide from God. Or perhaps you are in a place full of sadness and confusion about where God is in the middle of your storm.

I want to remind you that it's okay to admit that you are lost, alone, and in need of His help. What is required at this moment is for you to be strong and courageous and have faith that things can and will get better. Having hope requires faith. Having faith requires us to trust Him, and trusting Him requires us to be fully dependent on His love for us.

Cry out to the Lord that you don't know what lies ahead, but just as Jeremiah says in verse 21, "Yet still I dare to hope when I remember this." Repeat it and shout it as loud and as many times as you need, "Yet still I dare to hope," and then pray this prayer today:

"Lord our Father, help me!

I can't do this without you! I will depend on you to bring me out of this darkness. I will wait quietly, patiently, have faith, and put all my trust in you. I know it won't be easy, but I am ready to stop trying to do this in my own strength and have faith in only you. For you are a way maker; please open my eyes and heart to see the hope and joy that you want to give me. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."