Mysterious Mercy

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Sermon Outline

The structure of Lamentations and the heart of this lament

• This lament is horrific in its intensity and graphic in its detail.
• This lament is highly structured poetry and not a haphazard rant.
• This lament is organized to point the reader toward the merciful heart of God.

How do you bring your grief to the Lord? How can we learn to grieve “toward the truth”?

Is God ultimately responsible for my suffering?

• Lamentations 3:37-38 “…Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”
• Defining the terms: What’s the “bad” we’re talking about here?
• Though God is sovereign over suffering, He cannot be charged with evil or sin.

How might my understanding of God’s sovereignty be limited or lopsided?

God’s sovereignty over the “bad” things: Evidence from three other accounts in Scripture

• Job: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10)
• Joseph: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20)
• Jesus: The death of Christ and the purpose of God (Acts 4:27-28)

How might our view of suffering and God’s providence need to be adjusted and informed by the witness of Scripture?

Jeremiah’s Lament and the Lord’s Mercy (Lamentations 3:17-24)

• Jeremiah says that he has forgotten what happiness is, and his hope has died. (v.18)
• The bitterness of circumstance is always on his mind; he must preach truth to himself to build hope. (v20-21)
• Hope comes from clinging to the promise of God’s never-ceasing mercy that is new with each day. (v22-24)

Are you preaching truth to yourself when your mind turns inward? Do you store up God’s promises in good times so they’re available in the bad ones?

Recognize the mystery, savor the goodness of God

• The suffering that God ordains is often shrouded in mystery.
• God brings affliction and grief, but this “strange work” does not come “from his heart”. (Lam. 3:32-33, Is 28:21)
• God is fully committed to doing good to his children; His steadfast mercy and faithfulness are shown to His children with his whole heart and soul. (Jeremiah 32:40-41)

Don’t look for security and satisfaction in “good” circumstances; look for them in the goodness of God in the midst of whatever circumstances He has ordained for you. He holds the mystery of your suffering, but He also holds you in the midst of your suffering, and He will work all things for your good and His glory. Trust His promises!