Readings for today: Lamentations 4-5, Psalms 30
It’s okay to let God know how you really feel. It’s okay to recite back to God all you have gone through. Of course He knows it already but it’s good for us to say out loud to Him. It’s good for us to share our heartbreak and hurts with Him. God wants a dialogue not a monologue. He doesn’t want to have to read your mind or rely on His omniscience to know what’s happening in your life. He wants a relationship and in relationships, we share everything.
Lamentations five is a prayer for restoration and it begins with an interesting turn of phrase. “Lord, remember what has happened to us. Look, and see our disgrace!” (Lamentations 5:1 CSB) Why does Jeremiah pray for God to remember? Has God forgotten all that’s happened? Is God absent-minded? Is He forgetful? Surely not, right? Of course God remembers everything. He knows everything from beginning to end. He sees all and knows all. Past, present, and future are always laid out before Him so what is Jeremiah actually praying for here? Whenever someone prays for God to “remember” in the Bible, they are actually calling on God to act. To do something in concert with His character and the covenant promises He’s made to His people. Lord, remember what has happened to us. Lord, see our disgrace. And (implied in the text) do something about it. Restore us. Renew us. Make us righteous again in your sight. This is the heart of the prayer of remembrance. It’s calling on God to act in accordance with His will and character.
Look at how Lamentations 5 ends, “You, Lord, are enthroned forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you continually forget us, abandon us for our entire lives? Lord, bring us back to yourself, so we may return; renew our days as in former times, unless you have completely rejected us and are intensely angry with us.” (Lamentations 5:19-22 CSB) Jeremiah looks around sees all Israel has suffered and he asks God if it’s enough. Have we suffered enough for our sins? Have we been punished enough for our iniquities? Have we paid for our crimes? If so, bring us back to Yourself, O God, so we may return. Renew our days as in former times. Unless it’s not enough. Unless you are still righteously angry with us. Unless there is still time to be served and a price yet to be paid.
The glorious thing about these verses for Christians is that we know God has remembered. He has acted in human history to bring us back to Himself. He has acted to renew and restore us to our rightful place. The price has been paid. The time has been served. The punishment has been dealt out. All through Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, we have nothing to fear. We are not completely rejected. God is no longer angry with us. We are at peace with Him forever.
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 1-4, Psalms 31