WHO CRIES OUT IN LAMENT TO GOD TODAY?
Lamentations was written to “lament” (to grieve and mourn) the destruction of Jerusalem by the prophet Jeremiah. It calls the remnant of Judah to “cry out” to the Lord in their distress. Like the book of Job, it puzzles over the results of evil and suffering in the world. But unlike Job, who struggled with understanding why God allowed the righteous to suffer, Jeremiah lamented a suffering that was of the people’s own making.
It is a challenging book to read. Yet, it reminds us of our need to genuinely repent of sin and the suffering that inevitably follows. It calls us to lament over sin’s consequence and to beg God’s forgiveness, mercy and restoration. Only those who have hit life’s bottom seem to understand this lament of Jeremiah. Only those who are ready to “cry out in the night” find that these words give expression to the state of their hearts.
Will you lament today for our nation and world?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we pour out our hearts to You today. Hear our prayers of lament. For we confess the sins of our people to You and ask for Your mercy and grace. Bring revival to our land, so that the people turn to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.