TOPIC: Hope; Despair, Disappointment, Expectations
TITLE: MOURNING BY MORNING – Hope in the midst of despair! [If my memory serves me correctly this message was adapted from the message of another]
TEXT: Lamentations 3:21
Though times and circumstances assault us, the Lord's solid foundation withstands the mightiest of storms.
How sad that generation after generation, in some families, pass on this hopelessness as their legacy. Truly the sins of the parents are visited to the kids to the third and fourth generations.
INQUIRY: Why did Jeremiah have a change of heart?
Swindoll believes, [God must have] "several jugs marked 'Jeremiah.'"
Jeremiah from late 7th century to early 6th century BC … for about forty years … never had anything but heartache.
His message was of God’s coming judgment. The reason he is known as the weeping prophet is because he saw and understood the depth of his people’s rebellion and lack of concern.
TRUTH CLAIM: Our memories are frequently bond slaves of insecurity … tortured and manipulated by every demon of despair and monster of misery.
Desperate minds call to remembrance every dark apprehension of the past, they exaggerate every gloomy feature of the present; thus memory, now draped with sackcloth, projects upon the mind a future of mingled bitterness and affliction.
There is, however, no necessity for this. Wisdom can and will transform our recollections into angels of comfort … messengers of light … if we determine them to be so.
These same remembrances which in their left-hand bring so many dark omens, can be trained to convey in their right a wealth of hope-filled God-ordained favors.
Wisdom can discipline our memories to disdain a crown of rusting iron, for one of gold … glittering with gemstones.
Thus it was in Jeremiah’s experience; in the previous verse recollection brought him to deep mortification of soul:
INQUIRY: How may we overcome depression and despair when assaulted by negative remembrances?
EXPANDED OUTLINE
I. BY REMEMBERING GOD'S NEVER-CEASING LOVINGKINDNESS!
CHALLENGE: When we fail to understand the nature and promises of our God we set ourselves up for disappointment, discouragement, depression, despondency, despair, etc.
Remember the never-ceasing lovingkindnesses of the Lord; recite his deeds of grace. Open the divine volume of recollection which so richly illuminates His never-failing mercies, and be joy-filled.
Let the Comforter bend your memory to His service; let it be the commander of multitudes of encouragements.
TITLE: MOURNING BY MORNING – Hope in the midst of despair! [If my memory serves me correctly this message was adapted from the message of another]
TEXT: Lamentations 3:21
“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”
[SUICIDE] An Illinois man is in prison for life for intimidating his wife to suicide … making him what's believed to be the first person convicted under a law which says it's a felony to induce anyone to take their own life.Jesus tells us to come unto Him if we are weary and heavy laden. For those of us who've "been there, done that," the hope we have in our Lord is powerful beyond belief.
But how sad is it that the woman’s despair was so great.
Though times and circumstances assault us, the Lord's solid foundation withstands the mightiest of storms.
How sad that generation after generation, in some families, pass on this hopelessness as their legacy. Truly the sins of the parents are visited to the kids to the third and fourth generations.
INQUIRY: Why did Jeremiah have a change of heart?
CONTEXT: Psalm 56:8 says God keeps our tears in a bottle … and listed in a book….
- Because (v.19) when he remembered his affliction, his wanderings, his wormwood and bitterness, he then
- Remembered God’s never-ceasing lovingkindnesses, His never-diminishing compassions, and His never-failing faithfulness. (vv.22-23)
Swindoll believes, [God must have] "several jugs marked 'Jeremiah.'"
Jeremiah from late 7th century to early 6th century BC … for about forty years … never had anything but heartache.
His message was of God’s coming judgment. The reason he is known as the weeping prophet is because he saw and understood the depth of his people’s rebellion and lack of concern.
TRUTH CLAIM: Our memories are frequently bond slaves of insecurity … tortured and manipulated by every demon of despair and monster of misery.
Desperate minds call to remembrance every dark apprehension of the past, they exaggerate every gloomy feature of the present; thus memory, now draped with sackcloth, projects upon the mind a future of mingled bitterness and affliction.
There is, however, no necessity for this. Wisdom can and will transform our recollections into angels of comfort … messengers of light … if we determine them to be so.
These same remembrances which in their left-hand bring so many dark omens, can be trained to convey in their right a wealth of hope-filled God-ordained favors.
Wisdom can discipline our memories to disdain a crown of rusting iron, for one of gold … glittering with gemstones.
Thus it was in Jeremiah’s experience; in the previous verse recollection brought him to deep mortification of soul:
“My soul has them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me” [KJV]And this same memory restored him to life and comfort.
“Surely my soul remembers, And is bowed down within me” [NASB]
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”Like a double-edged sword, his memory killed conceit with one edge, then destroyed despair with the other. [e.g. Hebrews 4:12]
INQUIRY: How may we overcome depression and despair when assaulted by negative remembrances?
EXPANDED OUTLINE
I. BY REMEMBERING GOD'S NEVER-CEASING LOVINGKINDNESS!
“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."II. BY REMEMBERING GOD'S NEVER-DIMINISHING COMPASSIONS!Romans 5:1-5
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”Romans 5:8, 9
“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait expectantly for it.”III. BY REMEMBERING GOD'S NEVER-FAILING FAITHFULNESS!Romans 8:24, 25
“Morning by morning, O LORD,
You will hear my voice;
morning by morning
I lay my request before You
and wait in expectation.”
Psalms 5:3
APPLICATION: As a general principle, if we would but discipline our memories more shrewdly, we might, in the darkest of our despairs, light a match which would instantly kindle the lamp of comfort.You will hear my voice;
morning by morning
I lay my request before You
and wait in expectation.”
Psalms 5:3
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”God doesn’t need to create a new thing upon this earth just to restore believers to joy; if we would rake the ashes of our past with devotion, we would certainly find light for our present; and if we would open the book of eternal truth and turn to God’s throne of grace, our small lights would soon shine brightly for our future, as intended.Hebrews 11:1
CHALLENGE: When we fail to understand the nature and promises of our God we set ourselves up for disappointment, discouragement, depression, despondency, despair, etc.
Remember the never-ceasing lovingkindnesses of the Lord; recite his deeds of grace. Open the divine volume of recollection which so richly illuminates His never-failing mercies, and be joy-filled.
“Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD.”On that account, memory can be the wellspring of joy.Lamentations 3:37-40
Let the Comforter bend your memory to His service; let it be the commander of multitudes of encouragements.
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