Lamentations 1

Lamentations 1

One of the hardest seasons of my life was around the ages 17-19.  It was at this time that I walked in the ways of people who I thought were my friends.  This is the crowd I wanted to fit in with and thus, I begin to do the things they were a part of.  I knew I shouldn't do it, but I did because I wanted to fit in and be accepted.  I hate those years to be honest with you.  Uggh!  How many of those people are my friends today?  0!  Then there was one kid, a preacher's son who I loved and enjoyed being around, who pushed me to be a better person.  In a sense, he was pushing me to Jesus, but I didn't know it at the time.  I owe the Lord a big thanks for Rob.  I thought about all that while reading Lamentations 1 today.  Jeremiah wrote, "bitterly she weeps at night tears are upon her cheeks.  Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her.  All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies."  God's people went after "lovers," those who represented anything other than the Lord.  And when time came for punishment, none of the other "lovers" were around to "help" Israel.  When I was at my lowest point at that age, none of my friends were ever there to carry the burden with me except for Rob.  True friendship is when one person is pushing the other person to a closer walk with Jesus.  The Israelites were deceived to go after "lovers" and ended up empty handed and in a foreign land.  What is amazing about all this is that the Lord revealed all this to Jeremiah who in return warned the people of all this, but they didn't listen and even though Jeremiah knew it was coming...it was way too much for him to bear.  Thus, he wept a lot for his people and for their rebellious ways.  And yet...yet...yet, God's faithfulness is still on displayed in this book and in the 70 years that God's people suffered captivity.  God's hand was upon me even in my bad stage and today, I am grateful to know His grace and mercy deeply.  Amen!

"There is a Grand Canyon of difference between reputation & character; popularity isn't always a guarantee of spirituality." -Warren Wiersbe