I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:19-26
“Nothing is heavier than one’s head when one is struggling; raising one’s eyes requires great effort. Yet such effort is exactly what is called for here. The man takes himself in hand. He makes a decision. voluntarily affirming his faith, and acts with resolution and determination. Lifting up his eyes, he looks beyond the current situation and focuses his thought on God, whose goodness and compassion have not failed. More than that, they are new every morning. Circumstance have changed but God has not! The more the author thinks about it, the more he recognizes that the Lord is His real treasure, more precious than the riches of the temple and the city that he loves. He decides, I will wait for Him, and reminds himself that it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Issiaka Coulibaly (Côte d’Ivoire) in “Lamentations” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) 955. I am safely in Cotonou, Benin (pictured above).
God’s goodness, another word for His generosity, and His compassion are unfailing. We discover them afresh each morning. They are the real treasure we possess in this life.
I needed to hear this having just arrived in West Africa, with a full schedule in four countries that starts today. And I am thankful for the word picture of the heavy head.
Many Christian workers in this part of the world have a heavy head. I pray that in pointing them to Jesus and His design for sustainable ministry that it will lift up their eyes.
I pray each person Samson and I serve will embrace a new mindset looking beyond their circumstances to experience the salvation of the Lord. And the idea of waiting quietly also struck me.
Nothing happens fast in Africa. Nothing. As a matter of fact, most things take longer than you think. So, I am waiting on the LORD and relying on His power to transform minds and hearts.
If you have a heavy head, do this today. Look beyond your circumstances and focus on the unfailing generosity and compassion of God. Perhaps fast, pray, and lift your eyes. See what happens.