The Book Of Lamentations – Part 17 – How Can God Be Kind And Compassionate When He Allows Awful Suffering, Misery And Death? - Chapter 3:21-22 Series

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 17 – HOW CAN GOD BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE WHEN HE ALLOWS AWFUL SUFFERING, MISERY AND DEATH? - CHAPTER 3:21-22

We continue with Chapter 3, full of short verses and to the point. These are the laments of a defeated and ravished people.

[19]. WITHOUT RECALL THERE IS NO HOPE

Lamentations 3:21 “I recall this to my mind. Therefore I have hope.”

We encounter the word hope again. Some people say they don’t have enough faith; they struggle with faith. Well faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It does not matter what it is we have difficult with, it is the bible that lightens the problem and gives the solution.

When it comes to the great example of hope, it is Abraham who stands out. {{Romans 4:18 IN HOPE AGAINST HOPE HE BELIEVED, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”}}. Where did this hope spring from? Let us look at the verse – {{Galatians 3:6 “Even so Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS.”}}

It came from believing the word of the Lord. All hope derives from God’s word. In this Lamentations verse this recall or remembrance leads to hope. God’s word will always play its part. It is fundamental that we have to keep recalling God’s word over and over to give us assurance and hope. When needed, the Holy Spirit will recall to our minds the scripture we need at a particular time. Recall is so important. But how can the Holy Spirit recall to you what you don’t know? It is essential you take in so much of the bible, great portions!

Why would God accept the sinner; accept those in repentance; accept those who remember His word and are bowed down in humility and confession? Well, the answer is given to us and is found in the next two verses, 22 and 23. (We will have to leave verse 23 until the next message)

[20]. GOD IS COMPASSIONATE AND KIND

{{Lamentations 3:22 “THE LORD’S LOVING KINDNESSES INDEED NEVER CEASE for HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL.”}}

That is a famous verse, one we used to learn as a memory verse in Sunday School. This is one of the contradictions and conundrums for the unsaved. Everyone is aware of the suffering and disproportionate justice in the world. On the other hand there is the suffering of people in war; starvation; unspeakable tragedy and hardship. Many point the finger and ask where is God (if there is one) when so much suffering affects us? People skeptically question the notion of a god of love and compassion and kindness, as the verse says, when all they see is heartache and evil; cruelty and hate.

We must understand their concerns but Christians often don’t address these matters because they are a bit difficult, and I think it is because many themselves are unable to reconcile these inequalities and provide solutions. God has raised up through the centuries some very talented men who do address these matters and we call them apologists – Francis Schaeffer, C S Lewis, Ravi Zacharias (and I know the problem here), John Lennon and one of the earliest, Justin Martyr. There is a choice list of these people.

Some years ago this matter concerned me in what approach I would have in dealing with it, and like a number of cases, it caused me to write a poem. I wanted to address the problem of a God of love on one hand, and the horrible suffering in the world on the other hand. This is a lengthy poem but I am going to include it here, and after that, come back to the Lamentations verse to look at the qualities mentioned in verse 22.

INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM

There is much suffering in the world. This began with the sin of our fore-parents and has been endemic to all human beings. Christians have suffering also, but their understanding of the bible helps to explain it. Also Christ is our resource for suffering. He is our Great High Priest.

Often one hears, “How can God be a god of love with all this suffering?” “Why does God let good people suffer?” “Suffering must prove there is no God because He could stop it.” People do question this problematic concept, and many are cynical about it. It is just not logical for them, that if God exists, or is love, then He allows suffering which is horrendous in the world and always has been. It has been an issue with Christian philosophers and apologists down through the centuries.

All of us would find it a difficult challenge to answer a sceptic on this issue as it is complex. Even Job’s so-called friends could not get it right. Because it was on my mind for a time in 2006 I tried to look at it and come up with a solution that satisfied me. The poem is the result of that and it was a bit difficult to get the right thought processes.