Hope Out of Darkness

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”

Lamentations 3:21

We all experience many low points in life. Perhaps it is the loss of a job, a serious illness, or any number of other things. At times like these, we feel as though we are surrounded, not by hope, but rather by extreme darkness. It is as though we have gone from the brightness of the sun to the darkness of a cave. In deep caves with no natural or artificial light, illumination drops to 0 lux, a stark contrast to daylight, which ranges between 10,000 and 100,000 lux. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of hope amidst the dark situation in which he found himself. What we discover is that the hope he turns to comes from a source outside himself.

The book of Lamentations is similar to an appendix in that it supplements the book of Jeremiah. It is a sequel of sorts. Whereas Jeremiah tells of the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem, Lamentations looks back after the destruction occurred. In chapter 1, the prophet’s grief is expressed by describing the destruction of the beloved city of Jerusalem. In chapter 2, Jeremiah provides in great detail the judgments that the Lord brought upon every aspect of Israel’s life. But Jeremiah begins to shift his focus in chapter 3 away from himself and all the darkness around him, to the One who brings hope.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.”[1]

Jeremiah has good reason to hope in the Lord. In verses 22-24, the prophet provides one of the great lists of descriptions of the Lord in Scripture. First, he states that God is steadfast in love, having endless mercy and consistency in His actions. Blessed be the Lord! Next, not only does He reflect these qualities, but He does so in an unceasing manner. They are new each morning, just like the radiance of the sun. Whereas many resources we have run out, the Lord’s are described as inexhaustible.

“Was God’s supply of loyal love and compassion limited? God offered a fresh supply of loyal love every day to His covenant people.”[2]

At some point in life, we will come to a situation that feels like complete darkness. However, Jeremiah’s lesson is timeless. Instead of remaining focused on what is around us, we need to focus on the Lord above us in the heavens. When we focus our eyes on the One described in these verses, we can begin to see the ray of sunshine from outside the deep darkness of the cave we are in.

Lord, it is easy for me to sulk in the pit of darkness I may find myself in. However, Your Word tells me that there is a better way. Help me to refocus on You and all Your endless resources instead of what is around me. Amen.

[1] Helen Howarth Lemmel. "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus."

[2] Charles Dyer. The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Lamentations, pg. 1217.