Tues.’s Devo - The Pain of Suffering

Read: Lamentations 4:1-4:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23 Jeremiah’s 4th poem has to do with the devastation his people are going through because of their sins. *** Their precious children are being treated like common property. They were starving and no one was there to help them. The once rich are begging for food and clothes. Their bodies once healthy are skinny and weak. Tenderhearted women cooked and ate their own children. How horrible! *** No one believed that Jerusalem would be taken. Yet, it happened because of their sins and the sins of their priests who shed innocent blood. The priests were so defiled that their own people threw them out of their city. They ran to other nations but they didn’t want them either. The people no longer respect their leaders or their priests. They were exposed and now could not walk the streets. *** Judah had thought their allies like Egypt would come and help them but no one came. If they fled to the mountains, they were hunted down. If they hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for them. They had trusted that their king would save them but he was taken also. *** Edom rejoiced when they heard that Jerusalem was besieged but they would not laugh long. Their sins would also be exposed and God would punish them. *** The last poem was a detailed description of the suffering of Jerusalem. The women and young girls were being raped. The princes were hung by their thumbs. The old and younger men were made slaves to do hard labor. Violence was in the streets and famine was everywhere. In the midst of his tears, Jeremiah proclaims that God remains the same forever and his throne continues from generation to generation. He prays for their joy to be restored and for God to remember them. *** In Hebrews, the writer tells us that even the angels who violated God’s laws and followed Lucifer were punished. If they were punished for what they did, so will man be punished for his sins. *** God exalted mere mortals who were made a little lower than angels. He crowned man with glory and honor and gave them authority over all things. This happened through Jesus and his death. Jesus died and went to his glory but he brought others with him. Jesus makes us holy and leads us to his Father so he can be our father too. *** Jesus became flesh and blood so that he could break the power of the devil and his power over death. Jesus did this by dying for us. Jesus had to be made like us with all the weaknesses of a human being so he could become our merciful and faithful High Priest. He went through suffering and testing so he could have mercy and compassion on our suffering and testing. *** Lord, thank you for your wonderful plan of salvation through your son. Thank you, Jesus for suffering and dying for us. Thank you Holy Spirit for leading us into all truth and being in us to help us in all our ways.