RETURN TO THE LORD 

Lamentations 3:40-66 / Keywords 3:40

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

  

3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them,

    and let us return to the Lord.

41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands

    to God in heaven, and say:

42 “We have sinned and rebelled

    and you have not forgiven.

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;

    you have slain without pity.

44 You have covered yourself with a cloud

    so that no prayer can get through.

45 You have made us scum and refuse

    among the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths

    wide against us.

47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,

    ruin and destruction.”

48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes

    because my people are destroyed.

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,

    without relief,

50 until the Lord looks down

    from heaven and sees.

51 What I see brings grief to my soul

    because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause

    hunted me like a bird.

53 They tried to end my life in a pit

    and threw stones at me;

54 the waters closed over my head,

    and I thought I was about to perish.

55 I called on your name, Lord,

    from the depths of the pit.

56 You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears

    to my cry for relief.”

57 You came near when I called you,

    and you said, “Do not fear.”

58 You, Lord, took up my case;

    you redeemed my life.

59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.

    Uphold my cause!

60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,

    all their plots against me.

61 Lord, you have heard their insults,

    all their plots against me—

62 what my enemies whisper and mutter

    against me all day long.

63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,

    they mock me in their songs.

64 Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,

    for what their hands have done.

65 Put a veil over their hearts,

    and may your curse be on them!

66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them

    from under the heavens of the Lord.

1. When we recognize our sin and repent of it, and return to the Lord, he will forgive us. That doesn’t mean he will not judge us. That is what the author discovered. He urges his listeners to lift up their hands to God and say, “We have sinned and rebelled, but you have not forgiven.” Judah had to go through a period of judgment because of their sin. The Lord covered himself in wrath and took no pity on them. Many were slain. They suffered ruin and destruction. But the author urges his people to turn to God and confess their sin and rebellion. The author felt like a hunted bird. Would God relent?

 

2. When all seemed at its worst, the author called on God again. Then the Lord heard his plea. The Lord came near and said to him, “Do not fear.” The Lord took up his case and redeemed him from his sin. His confidence in the Lord was restored, even to the point where he could ask the Lord to pay back their enemies, to pursue them and destroy them. The Lord is a just judge. He redeems the repentant and punishes the wicked.

 

Prayer Father, you are the righteous judge. We have sinned against you. But you redeem those who repent. Help us examine our ways and return to you.

One Word Examine our ways and return to the Lord!