Here’s a guy who knows God is good, but looks around and sees uncertainty, trouble, and despair. Enemies jab his life, turmoil grabs his every day, evil nabs his soul. He even feels as if God has run him down into the dirt and is snuffing out his life. Yet in the midst of it all, comes this incredible speck of hope… which is more like a plank… in the eye of his heart. It’s a truth many of us have heard before… ("His mercies are new every morning.") … but we’ve perhaps never considered this dire context. It’s a song of refreshing joy… sung from the depth of uncertainty and pain. Here’s just a snippet from Lamentations 3 (from the Message):
"I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.
When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.