Lamentations 3 October 30, 2015
Life is full of good news and bad news. As a pastor here are some situations when I had the good news and bad news arrive at the same time.
The Good News is that the Women's Board voted to send me a get well card. The Bad News is the vote was 4 to 3.
Good News is Mrs. Jones is wild about my sermons. The Bad News is Mrs. Jones is also wild about the "The Jerry Springer Show" and the movie "Texas Chain Saw Massacre 5."
It even gets worse…
Good News is church attendance rose dramatically in August. The Bad News is that I was on vacation for the month.
Ever feel like life is just a bunch of bad news? That is where Jeremiah is today in the reading. A lament is song you sing at a funeral service. A lament is a song you sing in a minor key. So what does one do when living in a minor key? I will share with you a few of the steps I take on the bad news days. First, I remember the Lord's love and compassion. Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." When I remember this truth it refocuses my heart to something greater than my problem. When I sing about his compassion it transforms my heart.
People will disappoint you. People will betray you. People will drain you. But God will never turn his back on you. Even when we are at our worse, God's love never fails. I need to remind myself of that good news every day.
I also need to remember the Lord's presence in my life. Vs 24 says, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." I can't enjoy the love of God unless I remember the presence of God. This is the very heart of the message of the Bible. Christianity is not a religion of do's and don'ts; it's a relationship with the living LORD. When I find myself living in that minor key I have forgotten I am not here alone.
So today the good news is you are loved and you are not alone. No matter what bad news shows up, you are going to make it.
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