Our focus today is Lamentations 3. Verses 20 and 21.
“I well remember these things, and my soul despairs within me. Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”
We all carry memories that weigh on us. A harsh word spoken, a chance we let slip by, a mistake we cannot undo. These thoughts have a way of settling into our soul and pulling us downward, and left unchecked, they can turn into despair and depression. Maybe you just call it frequent sadness.
But notice the turn in verse 21. The writer does not deny the pain, he simply chooses what to remember next. In the context of this verse, he calls to his memory God’s faithfulness. When he does and we do, our hope rises. Joy is not found by ignoring our failures, but by placing beside them a bigger memory, a memory of God’s mercy that has carried us before and will carry us again.
Prayer: Lord, when memories weigh me down, remind me of Your faithful love and care.
My name is Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.