Lamentations 5:19-21 “Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”
There is something in all of us that finds change difficult. The people of Jerusalem, reaping the consequences of their own actions, had gone through all sorts of change. For them, virtually everything had changed-they went from living in Jerusalem, their homeland, to serving others in a foreign land.
And yet, through all of this change, they are reminded that God remains the same. God wanted them to be reminded that He was not just the God of their rich history, but that He was still their God and remained the same. God is the God of the present-He is the “I AM.” The reason we are told of all His great works in the past is so that we can know what He is like now!
God also remains beyond thrones.
Rulers come and go-some we like and others we wish never came into power. But no matter who becomes the next President, our Lord remains the same. He is the One on the throne!
Our unchanging God revives His people.
Notice in verse 20 that the people of Israel felt forgotten and forsaken. They had experienced the punishment of God and now wondered if God had changed. It was not God that had forgotten them-they had forgotten God! God’s punishment came from a heart of love to bring them back to a place of fellowship with Him. Notice verse 21: “Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.” God can turn His people back to Himself-God can revive!Where are you with the Lord today? Do you have to look back in the past to see the blessing of God on your life? It can be just like it used to be if you will only ask God to turn you back to Him.
Historians say that-most likely-when the Israelites would recite the book of Lamentations every year, they would say verse 22 but then end with repeating verse 21: “Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days of old.” That is a great way to start your day, too! Do you need revival? Are you experiencing God’s hand of judgment? There is hope! The Bible promises that if we will draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Let your unchanging LORD revive your heart today!
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Prayer Requests:
1. West Branch Families on the Move Conference in Santa Maria, CA (Oct. 17-18)
2. Revival services tonight in Danville, IL.
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