A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver – Proverbs 25v11
Last week we saw how the writer of the Book of Lamentations overcame despair by remembering the faithfulness of God. Today we continue in chapter 3 verse 24 “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Waiting and patience don’t come easily to most people – we live in a world of instant gratification – everybody is in a hurry. “If you snooze you lose” is a popular saying, but our reading today reminds us that if the Lord is our portion, we have to wait for Him. What does my portion mean? It is my inheritance in Christ both here on earth and in eternity and is the source of our happiness and blessing and satisfaction in our souls. If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ and know Him as our Saviour, we have to wait quietly and not badger Him because our hope is that at the right time the Lord will supply salvation from our situation as verse 31 confirms: “For no one is cast off by the Lord for ever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone”. Friends when grief and affliction come your way take heart that the Lord is aware and suffering with us. Saint Peter suffered and died for his faith, but he could write: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1v6. Friends, how we suffer is not only a testimony to both Christians and unbelievers of the reality of our faith, it also makes us reassess where we are building up treasure. If it is the here and now it will one day be left behind – if it is for eternity it will result in permanent praise, glory and honour. This should make us greatly rejoice!
God Bless
Graeme Greenwood