The book of Lamentations holds the details of how God's servant, Jeremiah (known as the weeping prophet) mourn for the fate of his nation and its people who chose to rebel against the One True God who loved, cared and provided for them. As a consequence of their sin, Jerusalem has been destroyed by Babylon and her people killed, tortured or taken captive. My Life Application Bible shared a very compelling exhortation surrounding our featured verse that I wanted to share with you. It says, "The horrible scene could have been avoided. Jeremiah had warned the people for years that this day of destruction would come, and it broke his heart to see it fulfilled. We are always shocked when we hear of tragedy striking the innocent. But often innocent bystanders are victims of judgment on a nation. Sin has a way of causing great sorrow and devastation to many. In Jeremiah's darkest moment, his hope was strengthened by this assurance: God had been faithful and would continue to be faithful. Jeremiah saw both God's judgment and God's steadfast love. In the time of judgment, Jeremiah could still cling to God's love just as in times of prosperity he had warned of God's judgment. Jeremiah saw one ray of hope in all the sin and sorrow surrounding him. Jeremiah 2:22 tells us, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." God willingly responds with help when we ask. Perhaps there is some sin in your life that you thought God would not forgive. God's steadfast love and mercy are greater than any sin, and He promises forgiveness. Jeremiah knew from personal experience about God's faithfulness. God had promised that punishment would follow disobedience, and it did. But God also had promised future restoration and blessing, and Jeremiah knew that God would keep that promise also. Trusting in God's faithfulness day by day makes us confident in His great promises for the future.
My friends, not everyone in a nation judged by God are wicked and rebellious. There are those (remnants) who know God and live in accordance to His will who continuously warn others to turn away from their evil ways and acknowledge the sovereignty of God in the affairs of the land. But many would not listen and these people elect individuals who are ruthless and rebellious like themselves to lead/represent them. This goes for local, state and national elections. And since many believers are not proactively witnessing or afraid to be persecuted by their family and friends, they become closet Christians, hiding God's light to themselves. So when God judges our nation, we ourselves stand in the midst of the misery and chaos and mourn what's become of our rebellious society. We see this scenario in places ruled by God-hating, prideful leaders. If a nation is led by someone who don't have respect for the Word of God, that person will not care to kill the unborn, seek to promote lawlessness (no borders, no accountability), promote immorality/sodomy, persecute and kill people of faith for they see-through their lies---unable to make them bow down and worship "Government" for only God is their source for everything. The wicked seek riches, power and fame for that is what selfish people easily fall for. And if we don't speak boldly and witness to many about the consequences of their sin and rebellion, we would see the horrific consequences of sin happening in our land.
Like Jeremiah, I know the grace and faithfulness of God to His people. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and put our faith in His finished work at the Cross for our eternal salvation (Born-again, John 3:3), we become His children and therefore part of God's family. When we plea to God, seek His face and ask for help, He will not turn us away. When we pray for our personal needs, He is there to meet them. But a believer who has the heart of God also prays for others, our nation and the world as a whole. For everything is under the control of the One True God who created everything. There is nothing impossible and too hard for Him as we seek Him with all our hearts. I have a testimony to share about the awesomeness of God and His miraculous works in our family. Last Friday, I was awakened from my nap with a phone call from my hubby telling me his car (pretty new) would not shift into any gear coming from work. By the distress in his voice, this was something unfamiliar to him. Feeling the pressure, I didn't know what to do since we had very little time to devise a plan that would not cause my husband to be late for another work happening in the next two and a half hours. The car needed to be towed to a garage that would close in the next hour. At home, my mind started to calculate for all the expenses this would entail (towing, repair, rental and missed work). I went into this emotional roller coaster as my heart beat faster. And then, the Spirit of God spoke inside of me saying, "Why are you stressing yourself when You are a child of Almighty God?" Realizing the harm I placed upon myself, I sat down and said a simple and honest prayer that goes like this, "My Lord, I lay unto your feet all these worries. I don't know what to do but You do. Take care of our situation like Only You can, in Jesus's Name!" Right after that, a series of miracles happened: First, God gave me the wisdom to tell my husband about the emergency service from our insurance that included free towing. If you know me, I'm the last person to be familiar of those services. Second, hubby called them and they said it would take an hour and half for anyone to arrive but walah,---in fifteen minutes, it arrived! Thirdly, my hubby was given a ride by the tower and they made it to the garage like twenty minutes before it closed. Fourth, my hubby was originally told that it may take about four days before they can attend to his car but the attendant worked on the car soon as it arrived after hearing the problem which he said was caused by a recalled part (something we didn't know about). Fifth, there are only 4 of that specific part given to the dealership in a month and there was only one left that time. So in less than thirty minutes at the garage, hubby was able to drive his car with no deductible to pay (since it's a recall part) and made it home to freshen up with just a forty five minutes delay to his scheduled work that night (hubby informed them of the cause of delay). But not only that, we found out that the reason why the towing company made it there so quickly was because the driver was near the end of his shift when he overheard the call made by my hubby. Since it was on his way, he made it his last call for the day before clocking out. And how about that guy in the garage who took on the repair immediately instead of waiting for several days? We all know that does not happen very often. Friends, how awesome is that! From the time I placed my trust in the Lord, I witnessed how God used people (Christian or non-Christian, we are not sure) to meet our needs---to answer our prayers as we kept the line open between me and hubby throughout the whole ordeal. Nobody can tell me there is no God for I have many experiences like this one in my lifetime that proves my God is alive and that He cares, loves and is always there for His children. Notice that God didn't spare us from the problems but He surely provided us with a way out when we seek and call His Name. Everyday, let us not forsake our time with God in prayer and reading of His Word. Let us intercede not only for ourselves but for our country and the world. Declare the Word of the Lord and rebuke the works of the enemy, in Jesus Name! Leaving you with this wonderful verse to ponder on:
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]." (James 5:16 AMP)
For this Card, I used die-cuts from Sizzix Thinlits called "Wildflowers" that I inked with Distress Inks. The base is a white CS, cut and scored to make a 5.5 inches square card. I also used a stencil from Dylusions to create the inked background. The "Promise" sentiment is from Studio 112 stamps. I also added some brads from Recollections and stitched all over this card.
THE SOUL THAT SEEKETH HIM CARD
THE SOUL THAT SEEKETH HIM CARD LAYERS
THE SOUL THAT SEEKETH HIM CARD INSIDE
THE SOUL THAT SEEKETH HIM CARD WITH ENVELOPE-BOX
Make sure you join us at WAW Challenge. You can use the free Word Art in your creation and link it to our Challenge but is not a requirement. As long as it's family-friendly, uplifting and inspirational, you can enter several times in two weeks. A great prize awaits our winner from our wonderful sponsor---Neat & Tangled ($15 GC). So excited to see what you come up with. Anyway, meditate on the goodness of the Lord and rely on His promises. As we see the world becoming more deceived each day, let us hold on to the hope and strength that only the Word of God can give. We serve a good and faithful God whose never going to leave us nor forsake us!
