Today’s Reading: Lamentations 1-2
God allows us to express our pain and sorrow just like we express our joy. The book of Lamentations consists of five funeral poems. Jeremiah weeps on behalf of the nation because they’ve lost everything. They’ve abandoned their God and their faith. As a result, they have endured attack, witnessed the destruction of all that they loved, and suffered great personal loss. The pain of the nation is great. They know that all of this has occurred because of their sin, but it doesn’t numb the pain. “Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress” (Lamentations 1:3; ESV). Jeremiah therefore leads the remnant in a time of mourning. He expresses the sorrow, pain and agony of the people. Jeremiah encourages the people to express their pain to their God. “But it is the LORD who did just as he planned. He has fulfilled the promises of disaster he made long ago. He has destroyed Jerusalem without mercy. He has caused her enemies to gloat over her and has given them power over her.18 Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief.19 Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger” (Lamentations 2:17-19; NLT). It is okay to cry out to God.