Lamentations

"Why?" the little child asks. And every answer you give-- they have the same question, "Why?"

Lamentations 3:39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40) Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. 41) Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Ever had a child--age is no respecter of this behavior, I've seen adults do the same thing--they do something they KNOW they shouldn't. They blatantly rebel against the 'rules', then when punished they cry, "What did you do that for?!" or worse "You got me in trouble!" When in reality it is their own choice or choices that caused their suffering. They act as if, "Well, there is just something wrong--with someone else--it's not MY fault I got in trouble."

Jeremiah, the prophet, has cried and prophesied to people who would not hear, would not see, would not turn from their evil ways, for many years. He has watched the Babylonian army march on his beloved country--his beloved city, Jerusalem. Finally, he watches the destruction of all that he holds dear. The devastation and heart break of war is all around him, yet he asks:

"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?"

And he gives them an answer--"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. 41) Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."

Lamentation 3:48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49) Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, 50) Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.

Jeremiah kept in mind that: "For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." (Lamentation 3:33) God does not enjoy punishing people, but as the writer of Hebrews 12:6 tells us, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7) It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chasteneth not?"

Sometimes we suffer, and we don't see a reason. Sometimes we suffer, and we know the reason. No matter which it is, we need to learn from our experiences whether happy, sad, good, or bad.

"I know how that story will turn out," I laugh at my boys "Louis L'Amour" novel. "The hero rides into town..."

They laugh because I've told them the same thing...more than once...and yes, I've even enjoyed one or two of Mr. L'Amour's novels.

"I know how that story will turn out," I say in jest to my daughter, as we peruse her newest, "Grace Livingston Hill" book. "The poor young girl somehow ends up living with a rich relative, suffering through trials and tribulations, due to the worldly character of the family. She is finally vindicated/set free, marries a wonderful man, who has a wonderful Christian character..."

I wish I had read Grace Livingston Hill when I was younger. I can laugh at how often the stories do have a common theme, but wait...

Testimony of those professing Christ is important. Being young in the faith, and having no one to confide in or no one to offer good advice, when I was a teenager in my family of unbelievers, how much better my testimony would have been to them if I had possessed a greater strength and knowledge in my walk of faith. Too often the young are caught up in the 'that's not fair', common thought.

I knew that 'life is not fair'...but still it was easy to feel that it should be. I use my experience to council young people, 'if it isn't against God or what He tells you to do, you need to submit to parental authority".

That's not popular, but God will always be on your side, and in the end, the young person will be thankful. Learn to work within the parameters that you are given, with prayer, meekness, and faith.

Grace's characters were the kind of people you would like to know, and would like to emulate. The difference of course is that a novel only takes a short time to read, even though it may supposedly cover a number of months or even years. Living in life when we have to suffer through those times, suffer through those 'years'-- isn't pleasant to us.

We must remember as Jeremiah encourages: Lamentations 3:24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25) Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26) It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

Good answers are not usually the easy answers to fulfill, but "it is good to hope, and quietly wait..."

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!