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November 5th 2020

David_Orr • November 5, 2020
The Light
Read Lamentations 3 The title above this chapter is “Great is Thy Faithfulness” But you don’t get to that until verse 23. It usually takes hard people to do hard things but Jeremiah was a softy given a hard task by God. This poem of Lament or funeral song was written by that soft heart that endured hell on earth. He spent his lifetime showing pictures of the almighty to a people blinded by the hatred of selfishness and pride. He spoke Words direct from God’s own mouth to ears that had chosen deafness for gain sake. I posted the first 2 verses in King James and ESV because there is one word different yet both true. ESV says “He hath DRIVEN me” where King James version says “He hath LED me into Darkness”. A hard man could not have endured what Jeremiah endured: ONLY a faithful servant could. As far as the election goes there still probably will not be a result according to the experts. So my writing a week ahead really makes no difference: but our faithfulness will. Jeremiah was faithful to God because he knew God would ALWAYS be faithful to him. God told Jeremiah what was coming when he was only a child in Jeremiah’s own words. Faithfulness only sees one way in an unknown barrage of choices: faith only sees God’s way. A former Pastor told me “There is always a choice” and I told him in essence “Disobedience is not a choice”. He said “I don’t want to be like Jeremiah” and I said “I don’t think Jeremiah wanted to either.” What message can you give in truth but God’s. This world lives, like my cousin’s grandson says, in “Play Like” or the wonderful land of Make Believe. Engulfed in the darkness they make up their own delusion of light. It wasn’t that God made Jeremiah walk into the darkness or really even led him into it. God showed Jeremiah the reality of where he actually already was: God revealed the true reality of Jeremiah’s situation. We’ve been “Playing Like” everything was fine for far too long: Paul praised God in Prison for preaching the Gospel. Whatever the outcome every day we live is one day closer to the day that “Salvation by Grace” is done. Whatever the consequence we need to come to the realization that obeying God’s leading is the only choice. Light gives the wisdom to make the choice well informed of what will be. If you asked me which chapter of God’s Word was my favorite I would answer Lamentations 3. I read from verse 1- 33 as a devotional one night when I was 25 or so without a word of my own. It was weird that a lady understood that I had taken it to heart. She was mad and accused me of feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t answer a word but somehow she missed the best part. - 21 'But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him. 29let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope. 30Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. 31 For the Lord will not cast off forever. 32 But, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 33 For he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. 34To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth. 35 To deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High. 36To subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. 37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? ' Lamentations 3:21-38 Jeremiah is sitting at Jesus’ feet this very moment with no regrets. Be the LIGHT in this darkness so you can do likewise.

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