Lamintations 3:21-26 – God Will Help Me Make It – Bible study

Lamentations 3:21-26 God Will Help Me Make It We are about 18 hours into the new year. There is always excitement of with a new year, but this year, perhaps more than any other, I have heard (and mostly read) that some were glad to see the old year go. I know that 2016 was a tough year for a some, but for most I do not know what made their year bad. Maybe some just like drama! However, it is true that 2017 makes no promises of good to us as it enters. In fact, the Bible itself warns us that trouble will come. Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. Ps 90:9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. Ec 5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Most Christians do not know much about Laminations. Preachers do not preach from this book very often and the reason why is there is little in it that encourages. 1. The title "Lamentation" means "mourning, wailing, sobbing." 2. The book was written by Jeremiah after Jerusalem and Israel had been under siege for 18 to 30 months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(587_BC) 3. \#La 4:10\ During that time, people got so hungry that some ate their own children. 4. \#Eze 5:1-4\ Ezekiel had prophesied that only a few over 1/3 of the inhabitants of Israel would even survive the military conquest. a. 1/3 would die in the siege. b. 1/3 would die in battles. c. 1/3 would be scattered but still persecuted. d. Only a few would be left, presumably to be left in the land. It is after all this destruction, death, and defeat, that Jeremiah wrote the book. I dare say that no matter how bad of a year you have had or will have, you probably will not have as bad a year as Jeremiah and Israel had. Yet, near the center of this book a few powerful and comforting words. It is from those words that I want to draw tonights message. As you go through whatever sorrows life and God takes you through, remember "God Will Help You Make It." I. \#22\ Know Two Truths A. The Lord is good. La 3:25 The Lord is good 1. Some things are harder to believe than others. a For some, this may be a hard statement to believe. b. I cannot identify with some. (1) I have been blessed all of my life. (2) But some have not. (a) Some were born unloved and some were abused by others. (b) Some have not had good health. (c) Some seemed not to have doors of opportunity to open for them. 2. Regardless of what hand you have been dealt in life, you must believe that God is good. a. Because He is. (1) Regardless of what happened to you, God is good. (2) Regardless of what will happen to you, God is good. b. Because as you believe in Gods goodness, you will see more of it. (1) As far as I know, that is not a direct promise of the Bible; but it is indirectly taught. Mt 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. Mt 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. (2) Your faith or lack of faith influencesif not createsthe world that you will live in. (3) Indeed, it may be responsible for much of the life you have already lived. (4) And it will create your eternity. B. His Compassions will not fail. La 3:22 His compassions fail not 1. That is Gods way of saying that God will never quit caring about you. 2. Life can be tough. Perhaps it has been so hard that you have quit caring what happens to you, but your anger at God, your rebellion toward God, your hatefulness toward God, will never get so bad that God quits caring about you. 3. That does not mean that God will keep on putting up with you. a. God has limits. b. The days that you will walk on this earth are limited. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: c. The number and kinds of sins that God will let you commit are limited. Ge 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh. 4. But Gods caring will not stop. a. At least it will not stop until you make your final decision, and I believe that God will care about you for all eternity. b. You see, God loves you and love has no end. C. Why are these two statements true. 1. \#La 3:23\ "Great is His faithfulness". a. That is to say, because God is faithful.. b. That is why God is good and why God never quits caring. (1) He is faithful, that is, perfectly consistent. (2) Nothing changes how God behaves because God is always the same. He is perfectly consistent. (3) Our actions and attitudesno matter how baddo not influence Gods character or attitude for He is faithful, perfectly consistent. (4) You and I cannot comprehend a Being as faithful as God is because we are not faithful and have never seen anyone who is. c. What is God faithful to? (1) God is faithful to His nature. (2) God is faithful to His Word. (3) But this text seems to be encouraging us that God is faithful to us! 2. "Because His mercies are renewed every morning." a. That is every day to every person, God sends some mercy. b. I do not say that every person will recognize Gods mercy. Only that God says He will send it. c. The best explanation I ever heard of life and Gods mercy came from Adrian Rogers. (1) He said God never sends all good and God never sends all bad, but every day, God sends to everyone some good and some bad. It is like railroad tracks. As the train speeds along, two rails are required. So as life comes, two kinds of events occur. Some good. Some bad. (2) Yet for most, they only notice one rail or the other. For a few, they only notice the good things that are happening. Bad things happen to them too, but that is not what they are looking to find so they pay the bad very little attention. For a great many more, they only notice the bad. God never sends bad without sending some good, but they will not notice the good because they are not looking for the good. d. Mark this down. (1) Everyday God sends you some good. (2) How do I know? Because God says He renews His mercy every day. e. Might I suggest, if you want more of Gods mercy, look for it. The more you see and thank Him for, the more likely God will be to send you more mercy. II. Believe Three Promises La 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: A. Without doubt, this is a book of judgment. 1. God has been promising to do to Israel what He had done for 1000 years. Then it came and it was horrible. 2. But in the midst of this, God promises that no earthly judgment will last forever. 3. God will end every earthly judgment. 4. Why? Look at the next promise. B. Because God does not like to hurt people. La 3:33 he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. 1. God is just and holy and He must deal with sin, but God does not enjoy hurting people. 2. That is not God. That is the devil. 3. That aspect of Gods nature is why God is always counter- acting His own judgments. a. There is physical death, but He walks with you through that valley. Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. b. There is separation from God in this life but He gave the Holy Ghost to live within us. c. There is hell but He paid the price for us. C. In the grief God may cause, He will be caring and careful. La 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion. 1. Again, that is in this life. 2. Even while you are being judged by God, God will be watching over you. 3. My own believe is that He is watching so that if you repent and call upon Him, He can answer you. 4. It is that very attribute that made it possible for God to answer Solomons prayer. 1Kings 8:31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: 32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: 34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers. 35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: 36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. 37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; 38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) III. Keep Four Conditions A. \#24\ "The Lord is my portion" 1. That is the equivalent of saying, "The Lord is mine." 2. Or I am saved. 3. For Gods mercies to be renewed to you, for Gods goodness to be apparent to you, you must be His. 4. If you are not Gods, you are the devils. 5. It does no good to complain to God about how the devil treats his kids. B. \#25\ "to the soul that seeketh him" 1. I must seek Him. a. Not what He can give you, but Him. b. Not His blessings, but Him. c. Do not try to make God a sugar daddy. 2. I must seek His mind; that is, to know Him better. a. Cant without salvation. b. Cant without submission. c. Cant without studying His Word. C. \#24\ I will hope in Him. 1. To hope is to long for, to trust in. 2. If you want Gods blessings, trust Him to deliver them to you and not another. D. \#25\ I will "wait for him" 1. If God tarries, and He often does, I will wait on Him. 2. I will be patient. I will endure. I will be longsuffering. 3. I am not these things because they are easy or because I want to do them, I will wait on God because I know that He is the only Answer. 4. As Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." \#John 6;68\ 5. I would rather suffer in this world with Christ than to do suffer in the world to come without Him. I have never preached that life will be easy. This evening, I have not said 2017 will be a better year for you. What I have and am saying is that no matter what kind of a year it is, God will help you to make it.