Bible Studies

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As another year races by, we try not to look back at things that were unpleasant, things that we feel should be left in yesterday's closets or forgotten altogether. And we use "old things are passed away" to encourage one another to do just that. One man of God had a different plan in mind. He chose to remember all of the things that were "crooked" about his path.

No, friends, this is not going to be an article of woe, poor-pitiful-me lists, or "Confessions from Treava's 'Sins of the Past' Diary." It's going to get better, much better. But first, brace yourself for someone else's story of woe and let's look at the first twenty verses of Lamentations 3:

1I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. 5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

I have to agree with the man of God here: It humbles me to remember the taste of that wormwood. In fact, remembering alone leaves a very bitter after-taste on the back of my tongue. Truly, it's hard to appreciate where you are unless you remember where He brought you from. And Jesus would say that this way: "He who is forgiven little loves little, and he who is forgiven much loves much." Ah! And, perhaps, he who has slept on the sand on a cold desert night and suffered with no shelter in the heat of day is much more appreciative of our fine air-conditioning and heating systems and our posture-compassionate beds than we will ever be.

Okay, for that "better" part now: verses 21 - 31

21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 31For the LORD will not cast off for ever:

Oh! Revelation here for someone: We are better off if we suffer reproach in our youth! The reason for that? If we are familiar with the taste of wormwood, we don't care to have it added as a spice to the bland milk that we "babies in Christ" must eat. We aren't real fond of trying to chew up the gravel either. We are not only humbled, but we are thankful for every little sip of soothing milk. But a man who wasn't raised on wormwood, if he is very wise, would be very careful not to become a glutton.

So, if you're still picking the grime from your teeth, here's you a toothpick:

32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. 34To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth. 35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.

37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? 38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? 39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

Okay, I think we've all turned to the Lord. I don't believe anyone who hasn't turned to the Lord, or who isn't trying desperately to do so, would have gotten half this far in reading my article. So, here we are -- turned (or turning) to the Lord. And, yet, there is still punishment for the sins of our past.

41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. 42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. 43Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. 44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. 45Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 47Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. 48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.

Yes! Even our children and children's children are affected by the sins of OUR past. And when we've searched and tried our ways, when we've made up our minds to live lives worthy of salvation, when we've finally figured out that WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE, and let our cries rise up out of the miry depths of our broken hearts:

50Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.

Somebody needs to be rejoicing just about right now! Someone just got a big dose of manna and a bigger dose of freedom! Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Let us humble ourselves before God Almighty. Let us not forget the wormwood, but wash down the after-taste with the Water of the Word.

May the Lord God Almighty bless us all with divine peace and abundant joy throughout 2005. May we be witnesses for the Lord Jesus and live up to the name HE has given us:

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, THE SALT OF THE EARTH. December 31, 2004 -- This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. January 1, 2005 -- This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

No doubt, if you're looking heavenward, you WILL have a happy New Year!

© Joyce Pool

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