This week in Crisis Counsels we will look at Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire. Lamentations is so named because most of the short book is a “lament” – an expression of sorrow over the devastation that Jeremiah sees all around. The book thus connects with the present time, as we lament all the troubles caused by this pandemic. Jeremiah does not try to suppress his sorrow – he gives it full vent in many verses in Lamentations – but he is not stuck in sorrow. As he says:

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end
Lamentations 3:19–22

We find hope when we call to mind the steadfast love of God! Like Jeremiah, we can know, even in the midst of great trials, that God is yet at work and that “God’s mercies never come to an end.” Concerning all the trouble around him Jeremiah says, “My soul continually thinks of it.” We are continually thinking of the pandemic and all its effects. But the crucial movement for Jeremiah is that he also thinks of God. As we put our trust in God, we can live not in despair but with confidence in God’s steadfast love.

Prayer – Guide us, O Lord, to find our sure hope in You. Click To Tweet

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.