"The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time as I grieve over my loss. YET I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends, His mercies never cease."
This passage most definitely hits everyone differently, but as for me, I can painfully identify with the the first half of chapter 3 (especially verses 1-18) as I remember my wandering days. I cry over them and sometimes avoid them at all costs. Either way, they are raw, real, and terrible. The reminders become less over time, but they still rise up often. Then comes Lamentations 3 verses 21-24. It overwhelms me to think that a God who had every reason to abandon me in my wandering, never did. NOT ONCE. I really do serve a most faithful and merciful God. I write all this as the music in the background says this of my faithful God, "In my hurt, at my worst, when my world falls down...not for a moment will you forsake me" (Merideth Andrews) Indeed, He is the God who never once took His loving eyes off me. He pursued me until the moment I hit my knees in sweet surrender.
Tonight, I was reading through 1 Samuel 7 where the Israelites get serious about ridding themselves of idols and surrendered to God through fasting and confession. It's interesting that trouble came upon them right after that. But whatever... as they began to face an overwhelming Philistine army, God gave them complete victory. Samuel then took up a stone and named it Ebenezer, meaning "the stone of help". It's like Samuel was saying;"Lord this day I am recognizing it is YOU who has been our help, our shield, and our victory." Call it you may: raising your Ebenezer or putting your stake in the ground but God deserves each and every form of glory we bring to him. I feel as though there are many Ebenezer moments over the past 10+ years of my life and I'm very thankful for each of them. I would not be where I am now, if it were not for the Lord being my help. Where I am now is UNBELIEVABLE, undeserving, and so very precious.
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