Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. Lamentations 2:18
A couple years ago, a little five-year-old boy mysteriously disappeared from his parent’s yard. News of this little guy’s disappearance spread like wild fire throughout the area. Thousands of people overwhelmed the community in search for this young life. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that temperatures were near 100 degrees and humidity was high.
The family farm was surrounded by cornfields and swamps, a nearly impossible place to find such a little body. Prayers were offered. Tears were shed. Tempers rose higher than the temperatures. Three days later his lifeless body was found in the trunk of a car on the family property. The car trunk had been overlooked because no one expected the little guy to be able to climb in the trunk and close the lid (when he was found he had the car keys with him).
It was a horrible situation to be sure and not to lessen the severity of that, but one of the things that stands out to me about the story is how earnestly people sought for this precious jewel. Some were overcome by heat and ‘ordered’ of the search for their own safety!
Lamentations is a book written by Jeremiah. Its theme is exactly what the title would imply – tears, weeping and anguish. The prophet Jeremiah is mourning the judgment of God against his people. He sees the pain and agony. He senses the seeming silence of God.
Were I to paraphrase Lamentations 2:18 to those who are struggling with life, it would go something like this. “I know you are in pain! I know what it’s like to feel like God has abandoned you. I see the turmoil and yes, I too question why! But never stop looking for God in all this. Never lose sight of his promises over and over again that he walks with you through the pain. Like a river in the wilderness, keep flowing. Don’t stop.”
Sometimes there seems to be no answer to the struggles in our lives, but we should never stop seeking God’s face.
PRAYER: Father God. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t understand why you allow such pain among your people. Yet, I acknowledge that you, and you alone are far too valuable to walk away from. So I will continue to pray for those in agony. I will continue to seek your face because you are worth it! Amen.
The story is told of an illegal Bible Study found out in a communist country. The soldiers who discovered the Bible Study told those in attendance that they would all be shot. Then, in a moment of false mercy, the head soldier said, “I’ll let you go if you spit on the Bible we’ve discovered. One by one people approached the Bible, spit on the open pages and left hurriedly. Then, a young girl approached the now spit covered Bible. She knelt, wiped away the spit with her dress and kissed the Bible. The soldier pointed his gun and pulled the trigger.
Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! 
My son, the blessings I give are better than the promise of ancient mountains or eternal hills. Joseph, I pray these blessings will come to you, because you are the leader of your brothers. Genesis 49:26
