TITLE:  CHOOSE WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN FACE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE

TITLE:  CHOOSE WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN FACE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE

SCRIPTURE:

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.  20 I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.  21 Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” 25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:19—26 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

            The word lament is a fitting descriptor for this book penned by the weeping prophet Jeremiah. His experiences of hardship and difficulties, of calling out to the Lord in prayers that seemed to fall on deaf ears, are all too familiar to many of us. There are times when we, too, have felt abandoned, when our pleas for help seemed to make things worse.  In this portion of his letter, he said, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness, and the gall.  He remembers them well and how his soul was downcast within him through that. 

            How many times has God put us through the test, and we feel like Jeremiah?  We feel abandoned by God.  We prayed, and things didn’t get better.  People often wonder if God is for us, why is everything going wrong with your life?  Jeremiah remembered the afflictions, wandering, bitterness, and gall.  Galls are issues that are annoying in our lives.  I am sure many annoying moments in our lives cause us pain and frustrations that can lead to a downcast spirit. 

            Jeremiah remembers the hurt and the frustration that comes from what he went through.  He remembered because it caused him so much depression that his soul was downcast within him.  We need to remember things that happened in our lives.

            But it is also essential to know that we must not dwell on the bitterness of our experience but recall the good things that God has done in our lives.  Jeremiah didn’t just remember the annoying things in life but also called to mind who God is.  He said, “Yet THIS I CALL TO MIND AND THEREFORE I HAVE HOPE: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. 

            He calls to mind the great love and compassion of the Lord that never fail. God’s great love and compassion are NEW EVERY MORNING. God’s faithfulness is renewed every morning.  Jeremiah said, “I SAY TO MYSELF…the Lord is my portion. Therefore, I will wait for him.  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, TO THE ONE WHO SEEKS HIM; IT IS GOOD TO WAIT QUIETLY for the salvation of the Lord.

            In life, it is essential to remember and tell ourselves what to remember. It is my responsibility to remember what God has done in my life so that when difficult times come, I can rely on what he has done rather than what I am going through.  Wait for him and be patient when things don’t work out.  Jeremiah gave excellent advice here, saying, THE ONE WHO SEEKS THE LORD, IT IS GOOD TO WAIT QUIETLY for his salvation.  I have a choice: I can remember the pain and the frustration of my experience, or I can choose to remember God’s great love, compassion, and faithfulness while I am going through my testing time.  I must choose what to remember.  Depending on what I choose to remember, it will bring me to what I hoped for. 

APPLICATION:
            I am reminded to choose what I focus on when so many galls are in my life.  I am grateful for this reminder to keep my focus on God and to wait patiently for him to bring solutions.  I choose today to remember my Heavenly Father’s great love, compassion, and faithfulness over my circumstances. 

PRAYER:

            Heavenly Father, I am grateful for your word this morning, which reminded me to trust in your great love, compassion, and faithfulness when I face many annoying things in life.  Teach me to wait on you quietly and trust in you with all my heart.  Thank you for your great love, compassion, and faithfulness, which renews every morning.  I love you, Lord.  Amen!