Restore us to yourself O Lord

Restore us to yourself O Lord

Scripture:- You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. Lamentations 5:19-22

Observation:- Lamentations ends with a cry to the Lord. Lord, you reign forever. Lord, it has been so long. Lord, restore us, let us return, renew our days as You did before! Oh Lord, have you utterly rejected us in your anger? The Jews cry to the Lord. Throughout the last 2,000 years, there have been terrible periods in history when the Jews were persecuted and killed in many countries – in the Roman empire under the Caesars, in Russia under the cruel Communists, in Germany, during the reign of Adolf Hitler, in Spain, during the terrible Spanish inquisition.  In the last days, this will happen again when the Anti-Christ shows himself in the temple at Jerusalem. The Bible speaks of only 3 ½ years, but what terrible years it will be.

There are times when we may feel that God has forgotten us, that He has forsaken us for a long time. In our grief and despair, it is important for us to let our emotions and pour it out to God. Our Lord reigns forever, His throne endures from generation to generation. A 1000 years is like a day to the Lord. He is timeless, though for us we become impatient even after a few minutes. The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love. If we return to Him and cry out to Him, His deliverance will surely come, though not always immediately, surely in due time. He will not be angry beyond measure for those who humble themselves and come back to Him.

Application:- Always hold the vision in our minds that the Lord reigns forever and His throne endures from generation to generation. He is the eternal God, all-powerful. When we feel discouraged or sad, pour out our emotions to God. Pray for God to restore us to Himself. Our relationship with God is far more precious than gold or money.

Prayer: ­Lord, Your glory extends from generation to generation. In Your hands You hold all things. In my despair, I will turn to You O Lord. Let Your ears hear and answer me. Knowing You is far more precious that anything in the world. Bring me back, O Lord, and let me know Your sweet presence again. In Jesus name, Amen

Under his shadow we would live

Under his shadow we would live
Scripture:- Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come. Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert. The LORD’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations. Lamentations 4:17-20

Observation:- Filled with terror, hopeless, frantically searching for help from anywhere, one cannot truly begin to fully understand the emotions felt by the people of Jerusalem in that time. Judah looked and looked for help from Egypt, but it did not come. There was nothing they could do to withstand the armies of Babylon. The people dared not go down to walk in the streets as the vicious armies flooded the city. Those who ran to the mountains were chased down, those who fled to the desert found the enemy waiting.
During the time of the Japanese occupation, the people of Malaya must have felt that way. Their hope had been in the British, but the colonial masters had fled before a superior army. People lived in fear. Men were killed, women forcibly taken, even children not spared. In many countries in Africa today, life is likewise uncertain, as rogues and rebels do as they wish among a poor, fearful people. In the days to come, in the time of tribulation, such scenes could well be commonplace all over the world.
In the last days, Jesus prophesied that we who follow Him would be handed over to be persecuted and killed and hated by all nations for His name’s sake. Brother would turn against brother, children against parents. It would be a terrible time. The Lord’s anointed would be caught in traps, and many would perish. Yet all who hold on to Jesus will live again and dwell under God’s shadow among the nations.

Application:- In life, there are difficult times that we must endure. For some of us, it could be truly terrifying times. However, though we lose all, those who lose even our lives, we need to remain sure and believe that this is all only temporary, and in the end, we have a great hope, a great God, whose shadow will cover us, and we will dwell with Him forever one day.

Prayer:- Lord, in my times of fear, even in my times of despair, I will continue to trust in You. Sustain me O Lord, and keep me safe in Your arms, till I see You face to face when You return. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

They are new every morning

They are new every morning

Scripture:- Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 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. Lamentations 3:21-26

Observation:- In the midst of the great anguish and sorrow felt by Jerusalem, Lamentations 3 gives us an amazing picture of a people yet willing to hope in the God who has punished them. “Yet this I call to mind” shows us that Jerusalem remembers. She remembers that her God is a loving and compassionate God and that is why the people of Israel are not completely wiped out. The people remember that God’s faithfulness, His love and compassion are new every morning. With this in mind, they will declare “the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him”. And we are reminded again the promise of Scripture, that the Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to those who seek Him. And it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Application:- Perhaps some of us have fallen away from God, pursuing selfish desires or ambitions but now we realize our folly. Perhaps now, we may be facing a difficult, seemingly insurmountable problem, be it health, family, relationship, financial or occupational. This is the time to remember God and find hope. We are still alive because of God’s great love and unfailing compassion. Let us remember that God’s mercy is new every morning, and great is His faithfulness. Let us declare “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him”. Hope, and continue to hope in Jesus for salvation. Seek the Lord, waiting quietly for Him to save us. The Scripture says the Lord is good to those who hope in Him. Let us not give up but wait patiently and quietly in Him, never losing hope.

Prayer:- Lord, forgive me where I have fallen away from You. I remember You, now O Lord, how loving and compassionate You are. I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, and great is your faithfulness. You are my portion, therefore I will wait for you. Save me O Lord according to Your great love. In Jesus name, Amen. 

You walls of Daughter Zion

You walls of Daughter Zion

Scripture: The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. Lamentations 2:18-19

Observation:- Every heart of every human being everywhere has a deep longing desire that cries out to know God. There is an emptiness, a void, that needs to be filled in our souls that can only be satisfied when we find that personal, loving relationship with God. The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord, even if they do not know it. Even the man who does insane acts of violence or knocks on the door of a brothel is actually seeking God. People everywhere need God, but some do not realize it. Other things cannot fulfill. They give temporary relief but the emptiness returns, worse than before.

What do walls symbolize? They protect the city from invading armies. In a sense, we who follow Christ are living walls for the community where we live. We are called to be intercessors to stand up, to stand in the gap and intercede for the community where we live, where we work, where we play and spend our time. We need to cry out for these people, to pour out our heart like water in the presence of the Lord, to lift up our hands for the lives of our children, those that the Lord has brought us. The children faint from hunger for lack of hearing the Word of God that nourishes soul and mind.

Application:- See ourselves as living walls in the communities, the peoples we interact with everyday. Learn to pour out our hearts to God and intercede for them. Ask God for perseverance and grace to be worthy watchmen, and intercessors, standing in the gap for our home, our workplace, our church, our social places, our country.

Prayer:- Lord, You have appointed me as a watchman, as a living wall, right where I am. Help me pour out my heart to you in prayer for your blessing, your revival, your peace to sweep across all you have given me, my home, my school, my workplace, my church, my country. Let Your presence be real in my life and the life of those I touch everyday. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

My eyes overflow with tears

My eyes overflow with tears

Scripture:- “My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have been hung on my neck, and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has given me into the hands of those I cannot withstand. Lamentations 1:14

“This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.” Lamentations 1:16

“The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look on my suffering. My young men and young women have gone into exile. Lamentations 1:18
“See, LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death. Lamentations 1:20

Observation: The book of Lamentations is popularly believed to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. It is a book that depicts the mourning and grief of Jerusalem in a time where she has been ransacked by the armies of Babylon and left destitute and poor. After enduring a terrible siege, most of the people have been taken away into captivity, and there is nothing but grief and sadness in a place once beautiful and renown.

The first verse speaks of sin like a yoke that binds Jerusalem and hangs around her neck, sapping her strength. For each one of us too, when sin is in our lives, it is a yoke that binds us and weighs heavily on us. For those of us who have received our Lord Jesus, the truth has set us free, and we no longer have this yoke of sin over us. How precious it is to be free from the yoke of slavery!  

The second verse pictures Jerusalem weeping uncontrollably. There is no comfort, no restoration. Jerusalem in Lamentations is a picture of the sinner coming to repentance. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Jesus proclaims in the Beatitudes. There are times when we need to let our emotions overflow before God, and our God who sees cares. When Jesus felt the sadness of the people on account of Lazarus’ death, He too wept even though He already knew He would raise him from the dead. 

In the third and fourth verses, we see that there is an understanding in Jerusalem that all these has happened because of her rebellion against the Lord. She is in torment and her heart is disturbed because she has been rebellious. However, her attitude is turning from rebellion to repentance.

Application: Recognize the burden of sin that weighs heavily on us if we do not repent and ask God to forgive us. At times, we may suddenly receive a burden to weep for a church, a nation or a people, like Jesus had when He prophesied over Jerusalem. In those moments, let our tears overflow as the Spirit leads us. In expressing our emotions to God, there is a release of power in the spiritual realm. Arrogance is like the sin of idolatry and rebellion like the sin of divination. We need to constantly check our hearts to see that we do not become arrogant or rebellious towards God in any way. Pride will distance us from God, and may lead us down a road to destruction.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You that on the cross You took my sins, that I might be forgiven. I thank You, Lord, that I am free in you. Help me to be attuned to Your Spirit, to cry out and mourn for the nation that revival may come forth. Forgive me O Lord for the times where I may have been proud or rebellious to You in any way. Create in me a pure heart O God. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.