Hope Beyond Hopelessness

Hope Beyond Hopelessness

Lamentation 3:1-26

Jeremiah who is also known as the weeping prophet in great despair God uses to write his emotions. He lived among a society of people caused him to almost lose hope.

See: Jeremiah 9:1-3 A people who knew not the LORD

Mention: Jeremiah 7:16 God told him not to even pray for them for He would not hear

Chapter three of the book of Lamentations is written much like Psalms 119 meaning that each of the 66 verses are grouped in threes representing the twenty-two Hebrew alphabets.

See: Lamentation 3:1-8, 18 In these verses we see his state of hopelessness

See: 21 Jeremiah came to place in his life where he was hopeless and then later recalled that there was hope.

There is “Hope Beyond Hopelessness”

That hope he speaks of is only found in the LORD

See: Psalms 42:5

And: Psalms 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God…

There are several things I want to share concerning this hope of the LORD that stretches beyond the meaning of the word in our day to day use of it.

1. A Hope That Produces Life

Mention: 1 Peter 1:3 A lively hope

Imagine a society of young people growing up in an environment that statistically says more than 50% of them will not complete school and even a higher percentage of them will live in poverty all their lives. One day someone comes along and meet with them and says for every one that completes high school I will personally finance your college education. Can you see the hope that would bring into their hearts?

The hope we have in Christ gives us something to live for!

See: Romans 15:4, 13 that hope is in His Word and is inspired in us by His Holy Spirit

Mention: Romans 4:18-20 Abraham against hope believed in hope

When you consider everything Abraham went through we must realize that many perhaps would have quit.

A hope that is alive keeps you believing in that hope!

See: Lamentation 3:24 The LORD is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.

2. A Hope That Prospers Life

Lamentation 3:26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

The hope that we have in the LORD is a visible hope by faith that presents a clear picture of prosperity at the end of all of life challenges.

See: Romans 8:24-25 We hope for that which we can not see by faith

Mention: Hebrews 11:1 for faith is the substance of thing hope for, the evidence of things not seen.

See: 1 Cor. 9:10 He that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that threseth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

I believe Joseph the son of Jacob had that kind of hope!

3. A Hope that Purities Life

One may wonder how oneself remain unspotted from the influence of society. Jeremiah was able to live for God despite the waywardness of his people. I believe it was because of the hope he had in his God.

See: 1 John 3:1-3 a hope that purifies

4. A Hope That Permeates Life

Mention: 1 Peter 3:15 We should ready to give and answer to every man the reason of hope…

See: Phil. 1:20 It’s about magnifying Christ

See: Hebrews 6:9-12, 19 This hope is an anchor of the soul.

Hymn: The Solid Rock "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’s name.