Poem 3 Part 3: Affirmations
God is God and God is Love
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
to deprive them of justice –
would not the Lord see such things?
Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come? Lamentations 3:32-38
God is Love.
God cares. That’s an integral part of who He is.
Right in the middle of our grief, God will show us compassion.
God will show us love. His love never ever fails.
He does not willingly cause us to suffer. He allows it but does not instigate it. He does not stop it happening either. It’s complicated.
Bad things and good things happen to everyone. And God sees it all.
Tough times are great times to reflect and learn
Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?
Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
‘We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
‘You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.
‘All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.’ Lamentations 3:39-47
Sometimes the bad stuff that happens to us is a direct consequence of poor lifestyle choices, foolish decisions or outright wrong behaviours.
Sometimes.
We never want to hear this at the time, but suffering can be a time of learning – a time to understand and know ourselves better, a time to depend on God more, a time for others to come alongside us and be there for us.
Not that we would ever choose that – of course we wouldn’t – and I admit I’ve been angry when anyone has tried to suggest this to me at the time but looking back, it is possible to see how God makes all things work for good in the end, if we allow Him to.
Everything is for a season
Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city. Lamentations 33: 48-51
It may feel like forever but it will pass.
Healing comes. Restoration.
Life will not be like this forever.
God saves
Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.
I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.’
You came near when I called you,
and you said, ‘Do not fear.’
You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:52-58
God hears. God comes near. God tells us we don’t need to be afraid. God gets on the case. God redeems and restores.
God saves.
God will hold everyone to account – so we don’t have to
Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me –
what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.
Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
for what their hands have done.
Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord. Lamentations 3:32-66
God sees. God sees everything. He sees right into the hearts and minds of those who have hurt us.
We don’t need to seek revenge, because no one will escape God’s judgement for everything they have ever done that is not in line with His will and His love (including us).
God is fair and just.
Always.
FIVE AFFIRMATIONS FOR TODAY AND EVERYDAY
God is God and God is Love
Tough times are great times to reflect and learn
Everything is for a season
God saves
God will hold everyone to account – so we don’t have to
