July 20, 2024

Lamentations 3.55–57 (NIV)

I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea:  “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”

The worst thing that could happen to you may be the best thing that could happen to you if you don’t let the worst get the best of you.*

Have you ever chanted the mantra, “Everything is going to be okay,” but you didn’t really believe it? God has never let me down but every time I face a new crisis, there’s a part of me that wonders if this is the time that he will forsake me. But no matter how low I go, God is there with me.

God doesn’t say, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” But, when God says, “Do not fear,” then do not fear. When God says it, it’s not a suggestion or a good idea. It’s a command – a command accompanied by a promise. It is not a promise that bad things are not going to happen. It’s not a promise that we will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. God’s promise is his presence. He will meet us in the pit; he will comfort us there; and he can turn the worst that life has to offer into something that blesses others and glorifies him. 

Have you ever felt as though God has forsaken you? . . . [Y]ou are in very good company. . . Jesus felt that way at one time too.*