“Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” by Mark Vroegop has taught my wife and me how to lament the loss of our daughter: cry out to God, make your complaint to Him, ask Him for what you need, and then trust and praise Him. So many who don’t believe in God ask “If God exists, why is there evil in the world? If He exists, He must not be loving.” But lamenting is how Christians respond to suffering. We don’t turn our backs on it and say “Life is bad.” We do the hard work of turning to God, pouring out our deep sorrow, and having the courage to trust that He is still good, and that He weeps with us.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience of lamenting over your loss. I am so sorry and I appreciate you sharing that in your suffering, you and you wife have taken your pain to God so that He can cry out and also experience your pain alongside you and your family. I pray for your peace and am grateful for your commitments every day. Your knowledge and experiences are vast and valuable. Thank you.
My God shot today is about God’s divine wrath which we see a lot of in Lamentations 2. I did a little bit deeper digging because I wanted to know more about the wrath of God within the same God who is the God of mercy and grace. To paraphrase the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “God’s wrath in Scripture is the just, proper and natural expression of God’s holiness and righteousness which must always, under all circumstances, and at all cost be maintained. It is therefore righteous indignation, and compatible with the holy and righteous nature of God.” As TLC said in today’s podcast, “This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction by God. God is patient and methodical.”
“Any time we choose sin, we fail to consider the future. Sin occurs when we live so much in the present that we forget about the Eternal Kingdom.” Absolutely true, TLC! Thank you!
Pain and destruction were brought down on Israel. The Lord did what he purposed. He carried out his word, which was commanded long ago. He threw down without pity and made the enemy rejoice over them and exalted the might of their foes (Lamentations 2:17). Lesson: God brings disaster in order to bring us to repentance. Doing life without the Lord leads us to destruction. What TLC says is so true. When we choose sin, we fail to think about the future. Whew.
135 k subscribers! I’m so glad this plan has reached so many. It has been a blessing to me, my family, and my church. My God shot was in something TLC said, God is methodical. He didn’t suddenly lose his temper and destroy Jerusalem an Judah. He sent them prophets, he blessed them when they repented, but in the end He fulfilled His warning words to them.
When we sin we don't get to choose the consequences Good morning bible Family sobering lesson in this teaching ❤❤❤ Thanks TLC and everyone have a blessed day in His Presence 🙏🤗❤
Yes, this is a sobering reminder. Thank you for pointing it out. Our sins have consequences and we don't get to choose how our sin will affect us or others.
I just cannot tell you enough How much I am enjoying this Bible study! This is the first time I've ever read through the entire Bible. And it definitely won't be the last because of you! Enjoying every single Moment!
My Bible has a commentary on Lam 1:16 about lament. It talks about how the poet of this book lamented in anguish about the utter destruction that surrounded him and the intense pain and affliction of God's people. He listed what they experienced which brought tears to my eyes thinking of not only the people from that day, but also people today. The commentary goes on to say that through this lament we catch a glimpse into the suffering of our Savior, who bore the anger of God against the sin of the human race.
We love you Lord Jesus and we are so grateful that you hear the cries of your people, even if it is a result of our own sin😢 Lord teach us to obey you~ For your Word says that obedience is better than sacrific🩸 Thank you TLC (The Bible Recap) for bringing clarity to each day’s reading of the Bible❤️
I love the God Shot she mentioned and verse 2:19. I love how He wants to hear the aches and pains of our hearts and souls, and He listens. Praise God. He engages with the good, the bad, and the ugly in our hearts. Man, I have a lot of ugly in there sometimes!
He is such a Great God! I don't know how He puts up with me sometimes!! I don't think I could even put up with myself!?! Thank You Lord for loving me that much!!
Our choices have consequences. God grants us free will. He gives us instruction on how to live, and how to believe, yet we will fall short. I feel this lament in my heart. I know I have been rebellious and I desperately want to change. '“See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death." Lamentations 1:20 NIV I appreciate Tara Leigh's statement that sin is short sighted. When we are sinning, we don't see the bigger picture. We are hyper focused on the moment. This is helpful because this is when I need to pull back in my negative moments, slow down and try to find what is really important. Loving God, all His people and allowing Him to help me bear the fruit He has meant for me.
Anytime we sin we fall to consider the future. Sin is short sighted. God warned against and again. The people ( us also sometimes) would not listen or even consider the warnings. It is actually unloving to allow us to continue in sin. It will hurt us. So then God afflicted in sorrow to bring about change and repentance. God doesn’t want a one dimensional love. He wants all of us, all our feelings and questions and thoughts. ““Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to Him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”” Lamentations 2:19
I see God's loving patience. He knew His people would continue in sin, He knew they had to endure the consequences and He knew they would regret their circumstance. He also knew that it would take them a while to process their emotions and come to their senses realizing that it's HIM they ought to long for instead of the fleeting benefits of their sin. Thank You for Your patience with us, Lord. Thank You for preserving us for Yourself even I the midst of trials. We love You for loving us so. Amen
Aloha, praise the Lord and good morning BR family. Acts 3:19, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins maybe blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. As TR said He loves us and values our emotion but we got to talk to him. He is where the JOY is!!!
I see this book as the author “Singing the Blues” as it is basically a study of the value of sorrow-something we need to know- mourning our sin; acknowledging it before God.
"Any time we choose sin, we fail to consider the future. Sin occurs when we live so much in the present that we forget about the eternal Kingdom." Wow!
Good morning! Thank you Tara, this is a hard book. I was also reading that the most striking literary feature of these poems is that they are a series of Acrostics, where the first letter of each verse starts with a succeeding letter of the (twenty-two-letter) Hebrew alphabet. These two poems thus have twenty-two stanzas of three lines each, the first line in each case being the acrostic. Wow! I have to wonder if God impressed upon the writer to write it this way. It is incredible that God wanted us to read these words, written this way. I am sure that our loving Father was also sad that he had to punish his children this way.
My Bible says that "This highly ordered form often assists in memorization, but given the depth of despair being expressed, it's more likely the author wished to convey his lament from "A to Z." With this controlled use of literary form, it's clear that Lamentations is not an emotional rant; rather, it's an intentional outpouring of the deepest grief."
Where are You, God? “Does it mean nothing to you, all who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering, which the Lord brought on me…” (Lam 1:12). The fire that Jeremiah said that God put in his bones (Jer 20:9) is now a grief that leaves him devastated (Lam 2:13). But he knows that God will see his anguish and broken heart (Lam 1:20) because God invites him to “pour out his heart like water to the Lord” (Lam 2:19). “Lift up your hands to the Lord” (Lam 2:19), because “I know it’s not much/ But it’s all I’ve got fit for a King/ singing Hallelujah” Where are You, God? “Does it mean nothing to you, all who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering, which the Lord brought on me…” (Lam 1:12). The fire that Jeremiah said that God out in his bones (Jer 20:9) is now a grief that leaves him devastated (Lam 2:13). But he knows that God will see his anguish and broken heart (Lam 1:20) because God invites him to “pour out his heart like water to the Lord” (Lam 2:19). “Lift up your hands to the Lord” (Lam 2:19), because “I know it’s not much/ But it’s all I’ve got fit for a King/ singing Hallelujah” ruclips.net/video/dQdfs5S6jyA/видео.htmlsi=RbeVZV3Ct0y40o6p
Day 237 Lamentations 1-2 Most scholars think that Jeremiah wrote this book. It’s a book of lament written over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. This is the warning that has happened to the people of Israel. Jeremiah spent years warning the people about it and suffering the consequences of them not listening. Chapter 1 The destruction of Jerusalem, Zion. It had been emptied out and the enemies rule over the people. All along God has been asking them to remember. Now they do. But they don’t remember God. They remember the nice things and comfort they had in their life. This is also the time where they had set up idols and were sacrificing their children. This is not righteous mourning. Tragic they are missing what’s most important. Jerusalem forgot what God had done in their past and forgot what God had promised for their future. Anytime we choose sin we fail to consider the future. If we live too much in the present we will forget about the eternal kingdom. There is a way to grieve for the glory of God. But the people are not doing it. The people are right in saying that God had a hand in this affliction. He warned the people over and over again. They refused to listen. God afflicted them and handed them over to their enemies. Later we see Judah is finally owning their role in their situation. They say the Lord is in the right. We have rebelled against His word. Vs 20 it sounds as if Jerusalem truly repents. My heart is wrong within me because I have been very rebellious. It’s important that they mourn, grieve their actions, not just their consequences. Chapter 2 They say the Lord has become like an enemy. However, He is not their enemy. Their own hearts are. God enacted necessary discipline for their sins. God goes silent. The prophets have no words from the Lord. The silence of God is devastating and makes the trials more painful. But God has not left them. He is very near to them. His presence is still there even when He is silent. This is true with us also. The time of trials do have an end. Vs 17 The Lord has done what He purposed. God is patient and methodical. What does it reveal about God that He included this book of Lamentations for us? He is a God who can handle our feelings and emotions. He wants to engage with us on those. Chapter 2:19 pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord. We can be unguarded with emotions before God. He receives and values our emotions. He wants us to talk to Him about our sin and how we are feeling. He is after our hearts. He wants to engage with all of us, even our struggle with sin in our hearts. God wants to speak truth to our struggles.
I wonder about the Levites and their families that had been serving in the temple. Apparently, they were also killed or in exile. Lamentations was so good at giving a picture of the desolation. Bummer.
“Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” by Mark Vroegop has taught my wife and me how to lament the loss of our daughter: cry out to God, make your complaint to Him, ask Him for what you need, and then trust and praise Him. So many who don’t believe in God ask “If God exists, why is there evil in the world? If He exists, He must not be loving.” But lamenting is how Christians respond to suffering. We don’t turn our backs on it and say “Life is bad.” We do the hard work of turning to God, pouring out our deep sorrow, and having the courage to trust that He is still good, and that He weeps with us.
Amen.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience of lamenting over your loss. I am so sorry and I appreciate you sharing that in your suffering, you and you wife have taken your pain to God so that He can cry out and also experience your pain alongside you and your family. I pray for your peace and am grateful for your commitments every day. Your knowledge and experiences are vast and valuable. Thank you.
“The time of your trial does have an end!”
Thank you TLC ❤
My God shot today is about God’s divine wrath which we see a lot of in Lamentations 2. I did a little bit deeper digging because I wanted to know more about the wrath of God within the same God who is the God of mercy and grace. To paraphrase the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “God’s wrath in Scripture is the just, proper and natural expression of God’s holiness and righteousness which must always, under all circumstances, and at all cost be maintained. It is therefore righteous indignation, and compatible with the holy and righteous nature of God.” As TLC said in today’s podcast, “This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction by God. God is patient and methodical.”
“Any time we choose sin, we fail to consider the future. Sin occurs when we live so much in the present that we forget about the Eternal Kingdom.” Absolutely true, TLC! Thank you!
I love that this book is in the bible. God can handle us. We don't have to walk on eggshells with Him.
Truth!
Pain and destruction were brought down on Israel. The Lord did what he purposed. He carried out his word, which was commanded long ago. He threw down without pity and made the enemy rejoice over them and exalted the might of their foes (Lamentations 2:17). Lesson: God brings disaster in order to bring us to repentance. Doing life without the Lord leads us to destruction.
What TLC says is so true. When we choose sin, we fail to think about the future. Whew.
135 k subscribers! I’m so glad this plan has reached so many. It has been a blessing to me, my family, and my church. My God shot was in something TLC said, God is methodical. He didn’t suddenly lose his temper and destroy Jerusalem an Judah. He sent them prophets, he blessed them when they repented, but in the end He fulfilled His warning words to them.
Perfect timing to read Lamentations. ❤🙏🏼
When we sin we don't get to choose the consequences Good morning bible Family sobering lesson in this teaching ❤❤❤ Thanks TLC and everyone have a blessed day in His Presence 🙏🤗❤
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
😊
Yes, this is a sobering reminder. Thank you for pointing it out. Our sins have consequences and we don't get to choose how our sin will affect us or others.
"God receives and values our emotions even when they're the results of our sin." Oh what a God He is. Thank you TLC ❤❤❤
Thank you for highlighting this quote again. It is so good!
I just cannot tell you enough How much I am enjoying this Bible study! This is the first time I've ever read through the entire Bible. And it definitely won't be the last because of you! Enjoying every single Moment!
Have a blessed day in His Presence bible Family 🙌🏾❤️ Still enjoying the journey 🙌🏾 He's where the Joy is 💯❤️
My Bible has a commentary on Lam 1:16 about lament. It talks about how the poet of this book lamented in anguish about the utter destruction that surrounded him and the intense pain and affliction of God's people. He listed what they experienced which brought tears to my eyes thinking of not only the people from that day, but also people today. The commentary goes on to say that through this lament we catch a glimpse into the suffering of our Savior, who bore the anger of God against the sin of the human race.
We love you Lord Jesus and we are so grateful that you hear the cries of your people, even if it is a result of our own sin😢
Lord teach us to obey you~
For your Word says that obedience is better than sacrific🩸
Thank you TLC (The Bible Recap)
for bringing clarity to each day’s reading of the Bible❤️
I've read Lamentations before, but wow, how impactful reading it after reading Jeremiah.
I love the God Shot she mentioned and verse 2:19. I love how He wants to hear the aches and pains of our hearts and souls, and He listens. Praise God. He engages with the good, the bad, and the ugly in our hearts. Man, I have a lot of ugly in there sometimes!
He is such a Great God! I don't know how He puts up with me sometimes!! I don't think I could even put up with myself!?! Thank You Lord for loving me that much!!
Our choices have consequences. God grants us free will. He gives us instruction on how to live, and how to believe, yet we will fall short. I feel this lament in my heart. I know I have been rebellious and I desperately want to change.
'“See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death."
Lamentations 1:20 NIV
I appreciate Tara Leigh's statement that sin is short sighted. When we are sinning, we don't see the bigger picture. We are hyper focused on the moment. This is helpful because this is when I need to pull back in my negative moments, slow down and try to find what is really important. Loving God, all His people and allowing Him to help me bear the fruit He has meant for me.
Anytime we sin we fall to consider the future. Sin is short sighted.
God warned against and again.
The people ( us also sometimes) would not listen or even consider the warnings.
It is actually unloving to allow us to continue in sin. It will hurt us.
So then God afflicted in sorrow to bring about change and repentance.
God doesn’t want a one dimensional love. He wants all of us, all our feelings and questions and thoughts.
““Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to Him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.””
Lamentations 2:19
Great summary
I see God's loving patience. He knew His people would continue in sin, He knew they had to endure the consequences and He knew they would regret their circumstance. He also knew that it would take them a while to process their emotions and come to their senses realizing that it's HIM they ought to long for instead of the fleeting benefits of their sin. Thank You for Your patience with us, Lord. Thank You for preserving us for Yourself even I the midst of trials. We love You for loving us so. Amen
God , the time of trial has an end; a great season is here. Amen 🙏
Pour out your heart as water to the Lord. Thank You Father for meeting me.🙌🙌🙌
Aloha, praise the Lord and good morning BR family. Acts 3:19, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins maybe blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. As TR said He loves us and values our emotion but we got to talk to him. He is where the JOY is!!!
I see this book as the author “Singing the Blues” as it is basically a study of the value of sorrow-something we need to know- mourning our sin; acknowledging it before God.
“He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity.” Lamentations 1:14 (NLT)
"Any time we choose sin, we fail to consider the future. Sin occurs when we live so much in the present that we forget about the eternal Kingdom." Wow!
Good morning! Thank you Tara, this is a hard book. I was also reading that the most striking literary feature of these poems is that they are a series of Acrostics, where the first letter of each verse starts with a succeeding letter of the (twenty-two-letter) Hebrew alphabet.
These two poems thus have twenty-two stanzas of three lines each, the first line in each case being the acrostic. Wow! I have to wonder if God impressed upon the writer to write it this way. It is incredible that God wanted us to read these words, written this way. I am sure that our loving Father was also sad that he had to punish his children this way.
My Bible says that "This highly ordered form often assists in memorization, but given the depth of despair being expressed, it's more likely the author wished to convey his lament from "A to Z." With this controlled use of literary form, it's clear that Lamentations is not an emotional rant; rather, it's an intentional outpouring of the deepest grief."
Lam 2:17, "The Lord had done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago"...
Praise God He hears us and we can pour our heart out to Him!
Hey Bible Readers!
Have a blessed day ❤
Where are You, God? “Does it mean nothing to you, all who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering, which the Lord brought on me…” (Lam 1:12). The fire that Jeremiah said that God put in his bones (Jer 20:9) is now a grief that leaves him devastated (Lam 2:13). But he knows that God will see his anguish and broken heart (Lam 1:20) because God invites him to “pour out his heart like water to the Lord” (Lam 2:19). “Lift up your hands to the Lord” (Lam 2:19), because “I know it’s not much/ But it’s all I’ve got fit for a King/ singing Hallelujah” Where are You, God? “Does it mean nothing to you, all who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering, which the Lord brought on me…” (Lam 1:12). The fire that Jeremiah said that God out in his bones (Jer 20:9) is now a grief that leaves him devastated (Lam 2:13). But he knows that God will see his anguish and broken heart (Lam 1:20) because God invites him to “pour out his heart like water to the Lord” (Lam 2:19). “Lift up your hands to the Lord” (Lam 2:19), because “I know it’s not much/ But it’s all I’ve got fit for a King/ singing Hallelujah” ruclips.net/video/dQdfs5S6jyA/видео.htmlsi=RbeVZV3Ct0y40o6p
Thanks for the link to that beautiful song 🎵
What a wonderful God we serve 🙌🏽🙌🏽
I really enjoy the guide.
Good evening ❤
I needed to hear this, thank you so much Tara-Leigh
Amen Tara-Leigh!
What an eye opener!!! 😮😳👁️👁️👀👁️👁️
Day 237
Lamentations 1-2
Most scholars think that Jeremiah wrote this book.
It’s a book of lament written over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.
This is the warning that has happened to the people of Israel. Jeremiah spent years warning the people about it and suffering the consequences of them not listening.
Chapter 1 The destruction of Jerusalem, Zion.
It had been emptied out and the enemies rule over the people.
All along God has been asking them to remember. Now they do. But they don’t remember God.
They remember the nice things and comfort they had in their life.
This is also the time where they had set up idols and were sacrificing their children. This is not righteous mourning.
Tragic they are missing what’s most important.
Jerusalem forgot what God had done in their past and forgot what God had promised for their future.
Anytime we choose sin we fail to consider the future. If we live too much in the present we will forget about the eternal kingdom.
There is a way to grieve for the glory of God. But the people are not doing it.
The people are right in saying that God had a hand in this affliction. He warned the people over and over again. They refused to listen.
God afflicted them and handed them over to their enemies.
Later we see Judah is finally owning their role in their situation.
They say the Lord is in the right. We have rebelled against His word.
Vs 20 it sounds as if Jerusalem truly repents.
My heart is wrong within me because I have been very rebellious. It’s important that they mourn, grieve their actions, not just their consequences.
Chapter 2
They say the Lord has become like an enemy. However, He is not their enemy. Their own hearts are.
God enacted necessary discipline for their sins.
God goes silent.
The prophets have no words from the Lord. The silence of God is devastating and makes the trials more painful.
But God has not left them.
He is very near to them. His presence is still there even when He is silent.
This is true with us also.
The time of trials do have an end.
Vs 17 The Lord has done what He purposed.
God is patient and methodical.
What does it reveal about God that He included this book of Lamentations for us?
He is a God who can handle our feelings and emotions. He wants to engage with us on those.
Chapter 2:19 pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.
We can be unguarded with emotions before God.
He receives and values our emotions.
He wants us to talk to Him about our sin and how we are feeling. He is after our hearts. He wants to engage with all of us, even our struggle with sin in our hearts.
God wants to speak truth to our struggles.
Thank you TLC!!!
So much to ponder today…love this!
I wonder about the Levites and their families that had been serving in the temple. Apparently, they were also killed or in exile.
Lamentations was so good at giving a picture of the desolation. Bummer.
Sin is shortsighted ✝️
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
💚