Wait on the Lord

A friend of mine shared this with me earlier this week. Lamentations 3:17-33:

my soul is bereft of peace;

I have forgotten what happiness is;

so I say, "My endurance has perished;

so has my hope from the Lord."

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,

the wormwood and the gall!

My soul continually remembers it

and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

It is good for a man that he bear

the yoke in his youth.

Let him sit alone in silence

when it is laid on him;

let him put his mouth in the dust -

there may yet be hope;

let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,

and let him be filled with insults.

For the Lord will not cast off forever,

but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion

according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

for he does not willingly afflict

or grieve the chilren of men.

I know the word of God will not return void. This week I even caught glimpses of true peace and happiness - I felt the truths I have been clinging to a little more. Feelings are not to be trusted or valued above all (thus may I put my "mouth in the dust" when tempted to unbelieving feelings), but God is gracious to allow them to bless when they fall in their proper place. So when I am "bereft of peace" and have "forgotten what happiness is", by the grace of God I will continue to "call to mind" the truths of God and therefore have hope. Looking to God and not myself is my only hope. He is good, according to his steadfast love - He cannot and will not act contrary to his good character. 

There is so much in the above passage that I can identify with and be encouraged by. I am waiting on the Lord, and I know that is a good place to be. Even if tempted to weariness or despair for about seven weeks of hardcore waiting on him in various forms and fashions, God proves faithful to grow me in perseverance in faith. He has done wonderful things and he is still doing great and wonderful things. He will unto the end.  And not only in me, but in all that belong to the kingdom of God.

"How great is our God. Sing with me, how great is our God!"