ODJ: searching
April 28, 2011
The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him (v.25).
READ: Lamentations 3:22-32
Recently, archaeologist Eilat Mazar found fortifications that were built in Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago. She believes that they were constructed by Solomon, as described in the Old Testament. Her unearthed evidence strongly rebuts what secular scholars believe: “that David’s [and Solomon’s] monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.” Eilat’s passionate digging and searching made for one amazing find!
In Lamentations 3, the author (believed to be the prophet Jeremiah) wrote of the importance of searching after something more important than ancient ruins. He wrote, “The Lord is good to . . . those who search for Him” (v.25). What’s so striking about this verse—and all of chapter 3—is that it’s an oasis of hope within a book of the Bible known for its misery and lament. Why did the prophet have hope? Because of God’s “faithful love” and the fact that “His mercies never cease” (v.22).
Keep in mind that Jeremiah had witnessed the heart-wrenching destruction of the city of Jerusalem. God’s people had been defeated, and many of them had been exiled to Babylon. Death and devastation followed them.
Even in that dark moment, Jeremiah chose to earnestly seek God and His compassionate heart (v.32). He wrote, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” (v.24). Hope. He still had it, even though everything else was gone—painfully torn from him and his people. Jeremiah chose to wait in silence before His faithful God (vv.23,28). The prophet and his people had been disciplined by the Lord for their rebellion against Him, but Jeremiah knew they wouldn’t be “abandoned by [Him] forever” (v.31).
If you’re lacking hope today, search for God. His love and compassion will never fail you. —Tom Felten
What happens when we choose not to seek God while we’re experiencing heartache and misery? What happens when we do search for Him?
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