Revisiting Dean’s Dilemma
In my last post, I introduced you to Dean, a professing believer sitting in a jail cell. His sins have resulted in many losses in his life: his marriage, family, and job. As he sits in the midst of this darkness, he wonders what’s left—especially of a relationship with God. I asked you to imagine being a chaplain for Dean. I also suggested that you might use themes from the book of Lamentations to minister to him. In this blog, we continue thinking through his case using Lamentations.
Dean Can Have Hope
Lamentations 3 offers an answer to Dean’s nagging question, “Why should I think God would bless me?” Already we’ve seen that there are several “voices” in Lamentations. The “voice” we hear in Lamentations 3 is a representative sufferer from among Jerusalem’s residents who, collectively, have endured isolation and betrayal (1:2, 16, 19, 21), starvation (1:11; 2:12; 4:4-10), theft (1:10), rape (5:11), murder (2:20-21), and exile (2:18; 5:2, 13). The pain is so great that the man in Lamentations 3 must petition his offended God for help (just like Jerusalem in 1:20 and 5:1). But on what basis can he do so?
The man approaches God with a boldness that would seem unbearably brazen to most onlookers. Dean himself would be one of those dumbfounded onlookers! The man in Lamentations 3 knows he has no capital with which to negotiate any deal for God’s mercy. In that way, he is like Dean. Yet, the man in Lamentations 3 sees another angle that allows him to “hope against hope.” He appeals to the character of God as the basis for approaching Him for help:
“Remember my affliction and my wanderings …
My soul continually remembers it …
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him’” (Lam. 3:19-24).
The man recalls from Israel’s long history with God: it was steadfast love, mercy (compassion), and faithfulness that God highlighted when addressing Moses after the golden calf incident (Ex. 34:6). Once again, after having experienced the Babylonian invasion because of her sin, Jerusalem can only rely on God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness as a basis for hope. But with that as his foundation for hope, he cannot lose.
“For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men” (Lam. 3:31-33).
Whereas steadfast love is central to God’s character, wrath is not; “He does not afflict from His heart.” This conviction led the man to encourage his neighbors to reach out to God once again with repentant hearts (3:40). If you were the chaplain ministering to Dean, this would be the same type of encouragement you could offer him. However, you could offer Dean an encouragement that is even more certain.
Dean’s Hope Is Secure in Christ
The people of Jerusalem knew about God’s character, but as of the writing of Lamentations, they had not yet experienced a deliverance from their suffering. Thus, the book ends with a tentatively worded appeal to God (Lam. 5:19-22). But you know how God finally demonstrated His saving love without reservation and without measure. You know God’s mercies are new every morning because Jesus, our risen Savior, is the bright morning star (Rev. 22:16). He is the light that clarifies how God our Judge can also be our Father. Dean’s shame and losses have clouded his perception of this reality. But you can use God’s Word to remind Dean that not even his sin can overshadow God’s love for him in Christ Jesus (see Rom. 8:1-39). Remind Dean that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more (Rom. 5:20)!
Question for Reflection
How would you further develop Dean’s hope in Christ?