Main Thought
The concept of “hope” can be a difficult one to process. On one hand, the resurrection of Jesus Christ permanently proves that hope in God is real. At the same time, there are reasons for hopelessness all around us: financial distress, sickness, war, and more. How are we supposed to reconcile these seemingly contradictory realities? The truth is that hope and hopelessness currently coexist. God is actively bringing about change in the world, primarily through the changed lives of His followers. Yet the consequences of sin and death will remain until Jesus returns. Any reason for hopelessness in the world will be destroyed when He returns - but what are we supposed to do in the meantime?
We can learn to lament while looking to God for hope. A lament is simply an honest prayer, or cry to God, from a place of pain. The Bible is filled with laments. Lamenting begins when we come before God, even when we’re broken. We can come to Him in the authentic reality of our situations. Then, we can cry and complain to God. This deepens our relationship with Him while lessening the ability of our negative emotions to dominate or control us. Our lamentation takes a turn when we call on God to move: we pray for His help or deliverance. Then, in spite of current situations that inspire hopelessness, we can choose to hope in God again. Our hope is built on the unchanging character of God and the completed work of Christ. These things are constant, and they can help our hope become constant too.
Main Passages
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope…
- Lamentations 3:19-21
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
- Lamentations 3:22-24
“...He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - 1 Peter 1:3
Discussion Questions
There are examples of lament across the Old and New Testaments. Approximately one-third of the Psalms are laments. There’s a book called Lamentations. Why do you think God sovereignly included so much content on laments?
Are there any areas in your life in which lamenting may help you? What can you bring before God in lament this week? Remember, the four steps of lamentation are:
Call on God.
Cry and complain.
Call on God to move.
Choose hope in Him.
Why do you think it’s important for our hope to be built on God’s unchanging character and the completed work of Jesus Christ?