I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.  HE hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.  Surely, against me is he turned; he hath his hand against me all the day; My flesh and my skin hath he made old: he hath broken my bones.  He hath set me in dark places, as they that are dead of old.  He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.  Also, when I cry and shout, He shutteth out my prayer.                   Lamentations 3:1-8

In my brief ministry, I don’t think I have ever preached from the book of Lamentations. Maybe because it is such a sad book.  The word lamentations simply means "sorrow".  Jeremiah wrote this book after the fall of Israel.  The captivity of the nation had broken Jeremiah’s heart.  Therefore, this entire book deals with the suffering of a nation.

America is repeating the same mistakes and sins as Israel was guilty of doing so long ago.  The country that we love so dearly is going by the wayside. That is putting it lightly.

In the Book of Lamentations, I would like to preach my sermon not only on Old Testament times but for current times as well. No one likes to suffer but we all do in one way or another. If this were a perfect world we would not have to go through suffering.  We would not have sick children.  We would not have loved ones dying. We would not have heartache and pain. We would be living in a perfect world.

Jerusalem was afflicted simply because she turned her back on God.  If they had walked in the will of God, there would have never been a nation (then or now) able to overthrow Israel.

I will repeat myself, “America, is going down the same path as Israel, repeating their same mistakes and sins.  Do you think God will let us continue to serve a false God?  How dare we think the trash of what’s happening to Paris Hilton more newsworthy than the abortion of unborn babies. 

We must realize we are living in adversity and perilous times shall come.  11 Timothy chapter 3 explains those perilous times.

Lamentations 2:1-5 deals with the source of the adversity.  God lifted His hand from Israel, His own chosen people. When God lifts His hand of protection from an individual, from a family, and from a nation, you can be sure the enemy is lining up to march in. You cannot keep telling God you will straighten up someday. There is a line drawn, and once you cross that line God’s wrath will fall.  Today, as a nation, we had better turn this thing around or God’s hand will be lifted off America.  However, there is hope in the midst of adversity.  There is hope of the sun rising tomorrow on a new day.  Without hope, we have nothing. 

Lamentations 3: 21-22...My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fails not.

Jeremiah is going through hell but he remembers that God’s love and compassion is new and fresh every morning.  Israel had turned its back on God; still, God told Israel, “If you will turn toward me, I will pardon your sins.”  He will do the same for us today. Even when we mess up, His tender mercies will bring us out of any dark valley. God knows your limits.  He knows how far you can go and still contain your sanity.  The thing that Jeremiah reminded himself of is that we would not be utterly consumed because of the compassion of God’s love is a light in the midst of darkness. It is the anchor in the storm.  It is the hope that we can hold to.  The hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Remember the story of Job.  He lost everything -- his wife, his children, his wealth.  God told the devil you can take it all, but you can’t touch his soul. Then Job said this, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return.  The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”  With all these afflictions, Job sinned not.  It is easy to praise God when we are on the mountaintop, but what about when you are in the midst of the valley. God’s grace is sufficient but He will not bless outside of His will.

This is a promise from the Lord:  Verse 25... The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.

When was the last time you checked in at headquarters?  Bro. Don Drake puts it like this, “God, how’s my walk today?”  I would like to put a simple question to you; has there ever been a time when your walk was closer to God than it is today?  If the answer is yes, you have walked away from God.  If there is any separation from God, it will be on our part because God does not go anywhere. 

From the Pulpit pf Pastor Jr Fields
June 24, 2007

Sermon edited by Mary King

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