Concordia Lutheran Church
Everything is Awful
When something bad happens, it can be easy to let that bad thing become all-consuming. It becomes the filter through which we see our whole lives. The book of Lamentations was written during a tough time in Israel’s history – when they were in exile in Babylon. Although the author does not minimize his agony, he also does not totalize it. This awful situation is not the whole story. There is hope in God.
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https://concordia.cc/givingLie: “Everything is awful.”
There are some things that ARE awful! War, sickness, aftermath of Hurricane Ian, LOTS of other situations … There is no question, there are things that are truly awful. No question! But when someone says, “Everything is awful,” something has caused them pain or dismay and it has gotten stuck in their hearts and minds until they believe that not just SOME things are awful, but that EVERYTHING is awful.
In order to dismantle this lie, I want to turn to a guy who lived in an awful time! Let’s go to Lamentations 3. When Lamentations was written, things were BAD for Israel! They had been destroyed by the Babylonians and the people were taken into captivity. The book of Lamentations records the anguish of this terrible time from one man’s perspective. While we don’t know for sure who wrote Lamentations, the likely author was the prophet, Jeremiah. He is known as “the weeping prophet” for several reasons:
He wept over the wickedness and rebellion of the people of Israel. He wept because the people ignored him and judgment was coming.
He wept because of his own isolation and suffering. Lamentations 3 is Jeremiah’s personal lament. I think we can learn something about dealing how to deal with those times when everything seems awful.
Jeremiah was witness to the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Chapter 3 is Jeremiah’s personal lament, and he tells it all!
There are some things that ARE awful! War, sickness, aftermath of Hurricane Ian, LOTS of other situations … There is no question, there are things that are truly awful. No question! But when someone says, “Everything is awful,” something has caused them pain or dismay and it has gotten stuck in their hearts and minds until they believe that not just SOME things are awful, but that EVERYTHING is awful.
In order to dismantle this lie, I want to turn to a guy who lived in an awful time! Let’s go to Lamentations 3. When Lamentations was written, things were BAD for Israel! They had been destroyed by the Babylonians and the people were taken into captivity. The book of Lamentations records the anguish of this terrible time from one man’s perspective. While we don’t know for sure who wrote Lamentations, the likely author was the prophet, Jeremiah. He is known as “the weeping prophet” for several reasons:
He wept over the wickedness and rebellion of the people of Israel. He wept because the people ignored him and judgment was coming.
He wept because of his own isolation and suffering. Lamentations 3 is Jeremiah’s personal lament. I think we can learn something about dealing how to deal with those times when everything seems awful.
Jeremiah was witness to the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Chapter 3 is Jeremiah’s personal lament, and he tells it all!
Jeremiah is in great pain; He is isolated and ignored. And he knows that things are only going to get worse. The next several verses are filled with pain and disappointment ... and then we come to verse 16.
He has lost all hope of happiness and every good thing he thought God would provide for him. He is VERY sad. But in the midst of it all, Jeremiah does something really healthy that we need to learn to do!
Before we get to that, I want to take a minute to notice Jeremiah’s honesty. As he cries out to God, he tells us exactly how he feels! Look at the word picture in these last couple verses ...
Before we get to that, I want to take a minute to notice Jeremiah’s honesty. As he cries out to God, he tells us exactly how he feels! Look at the word picture in these last couple verses ...
Jeremiah lays it on the line. And notice how he goes from saying, “God did this to me,” to saying, “God has disappeared from me.” “All hope in God has been shattered and it’s like He’s not even there.”
When things feel awful, we tend to ask two questions ...
- WHY are You doing this, God? or WHY are you NOT doing this God?
- WHERE are You, God?
We feel like either God is hurting us, ignoring us, or He has abandoned us. We need to remember something about the answers to these two questions:
- The answer to WHY is elusive, and it probably wouldn’t help anyway.
- The answer to WHERE is crystal clear – God is with us – but that doesn’t help.
Jeremiah is in a bad place and he’s stuck. That is exactly where the devil loves to swoop in and tell us everything is awful! There is no hope!
Jeremiah is also honest about the fact that he’s struggling with the very lie we are talking about, “Everything is awful.”
When things feel awful, we tend to ask two questions ...
- WHY are You doing this, God? or WHY are you NOT doing this God?
- WHERE are You, God?
We feel like either God is hurting us, ignoring us, or He has abandoned us. We need to remember something about the answers to these two questions:
- The answer to WHY is elusive, and it probably wouldn’t help anyway.
- The answer to WHERE is crystal clear – God is with us – but that doesn’t help.
Jeremiah is in a bad place and he’s stuck. That is exactly where the devil loves to swoop in and tell us everything is awful! There is no hope!
Jeremiah is also honest about the fact that he’s struggling with the very lie we are talking about, “Everything is awful.”
One of the reasons I appreciate Jeremiah’s honesty is because when we feel like everything is awful, the devil loves to isolate us. We tend to withdraw and hide our pain. The isolation that comes from not wanting anyone to know only intensifies the problem. Jeremiah is honest, and he lets his pain be known to God and everyone.
Now we come to the turning point of Jeremiah’s lament. Jeremiah is honest about his pain and honest that he is starting to believe everything is awful. But in the midst of all that, he does something amazing. He remembers!
Now we come to the turning point of Jeremiah’s lament. Jeremiah is honest about his pain and honest that he is starting to believe everything is awful. But in the midst of all that, he does something amazing. He remembers!
In this terrible situation, Jeremiah remembers God’s faithfulness. He remembers that God can be trusted. God’s compassion NEVER fails. Jeremiah remembers that God will NEVER abandon him (or us!).
Jeremiah isn’t the only person to follow this pattern of honesty and remembering when it feels like everything is awful. Jesus does the same thing. The night before Jesus goes to the cross, He takes His disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is honest with both his disciples and His Father ...
Jeremiah isn’t the only person to follow this pattern of honesty and remembering when it feels like everything is awful. Jesus does the same thing. The night before Jesus goes to the cross, He takes His disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is honest with both his disciples and His Father ...
Jesus is honest about the pain and struggle going on inside Himself. Like Jeremiah, His soul is bowed down within Him.
He is honest with God and expresses His frustration that He has to go to the cross. But then, He remembers.
He remembers that God’s plan that is faithful and good. He knows His Father will see Him through. Jesus follows the same pattern as Jeremiah! A pattern that you and I need to follow.
God is faithful. God keeps His promises. Meditation verses…
He remembers that God’s plan that is faithful and good. He knows His Father will see Him through. Jesus follows the same pattern as Jeremiah! A pattern that you and I need to follow.
God is faithful. God keeps His promises. Meditation verses…
And God’s promise is that He loves us and never leaves us or forgets us. In fact, Jesus, in the garden, may have thought of Jeremiah’s words in the face of His pain. It is the second verse I want you to chew on this week.