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BACKGROUND
Jeremiah's suffering was:
1. Divine in origin
"Under the rod of his wrath" (v. 1.)
God ("he") is mentioned 19 times in verses 1-16 as the source of Jeremiah's trials.
God had judged the nation of Israel, leading to Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC, and this was the immediate cause of Jeremiah's despair.
2. Damaging in effect:
"I am the man who has seen affliction" (v. 1).
He "cannot escape" (v. 7).
He is a "laughingstock" & "object of their taunts" (v. 14).
He has "forgotten what happiness is" (v. 17).
3. Debilitating in outcome:
He was weak (v. 18).
He was hopeless (v. 18).
Jeremiah responded by:
1. Seeking divine remembrance (v. 19)
2. Sinking from personal remembrance (v. 20)
3. Standing on scriptural remembrance (v. 21)
Note: Jeremiah used God's personal name, Yahweh, in today's passage. This may indicate the personal relationship Jeremiah had with the Lord, as opposed to a title like Adonai or Elohim. This is reminiscent of Jesus telling us to approach God in prayer as “our Father.”
Like Jeremiah, let us stand on scriptural remembrance! Let us remember the truths from Lamentations 3:21-26 and respond as Jeremiah did during times of suffering:
I. Meditate on God's Unfailing Love (vv. 21-22).
II. Meditate on God's Unfailing Mercy (vv. 22-23).
III. Lean on God's Unfailing Presence (v. 24).
IV. Lean on God's Unfailing Goodness (vv. 25-26).