in your Bibles this morning, the book of Lamentations. Not a book we turn to very often, but I want to preach a message this morning titled, I Have Hope. I'm actually going to preach it from the most depressing book in all of the Bible, the book of Lamentations. Its title is a depressing word. How many of you have ever heard anybody use the word lamenting? It's like, oh, and the Lamentations, the whole book is a, oh, because the nation of Israel is in a very, very tough time. If you look at the very first part of the book of Lamentations, it's called a Lamentations, the Lamentations of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is often referred to as the weeping prophet. Jeremiah lived in a tough time. And just to kind of give you an idea of what is the subject matter in the book of Lamentations, how many of you have Bibles that on the top of the page it will kind of give you a little summary of what's going on, or maybe you're at the top of the chapters, it kind of gives you a little idea of what's going on. I'm just going to read you the ones that are on the top line of my Bible when we turn to the book of Lamentations to give you an idea about the subject matter of the book of lamentations. The first one I see is, the miserable estate of Jerusalem. That's encouraging, isn't it? The next one says, Jerusalem complaineth of her grief. The next one says, Jeremiah lamenteth the misery of Jerusalem. The next one says, Jeremiah lamenteth the misery of Jerusalem and bewaileth his own calamities. We're just two and a half chapters into the book and it's full of misery. And I want to read to you beginning in chapter 3 some verses that I'm going to go ahead and confess that they're depressing. Jeremiah was low. And I'm going to read them knowing that there's folks here this morning that in your heart you're going to identify with the emotions that Jeremiah was feeling. The sweet news, the good news is Jeremiah is going to change his attention to the goodness of God. God is going to lift his spirit. That will be the goal for today's message, to know that we have hope. I want to set the stage and show you what the Bible is talking about and what we're dealing with. Look at verse number 1 of Lamentations 3. I am the man that hath seen affliction. by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me as he turneth his hand against me all the day. Verse 4, my flesh and my skin hath he made old. He hath broken my bones. He hath builded against me and compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out. He hath made my chain heavy. Luke verse number 11. He hath turned aside my ways and pulled me in pieces. He hath made me desolate. Verse 12. He hath bent his bow and set me as a mark for the arrow. Verse 15. He hath filled me with bitterness. He has made me drunken with wormwood. Verse 17, and thou hast removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity. And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. my soul hath been still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. " Now I'm just going to tell you something, Jeremiah is painting a tragic picture. But maybe you're here today and you can identify with the sense of affliction in your heart and your life. It seems like the moment you're in is dark, darkness. Maybe the burden you've carried so long can be identified like this in verse four, he says, my skin hath he made old. He had broken my, he said, some folks have been in it for so long and had it so hard and they look a lot older than they are. How many of you have seen this meme? I've seen this meme, it's a picture of a really, really old wrinkly fella in a suit and tie. And it says, I'm 33 years old, I'm a pastor, it's wonderful. And teachers put their name in there, whatever it might be. He says, I've been in affliction and my skin, it's showing up on my skin, I look older than I should be. Verse seven, my chain is heavy. My chain is heavy. I don't know about you, but there are moments in life where it gets pretty heavy. Jeremiah was there. He says in verse 15, he was filled with bitterness. He says, my heart's far away from peace. I've forgotten what prosperity looks like. It's been a long time. And I want you to know, wherever you are, the burden you carry. The Bible says there's hope. When Jeremiah found himself in this spot, he says, this I recall to my mind. Therefore, verse 21, this I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. In verse 21, he says, I've told you all the bad, but now I'm going to tell you what I'm remembering right now, what I'm thinking about, what God has put on my heart that has lifted my spirits and given me some hope. He says, I'm thinking about some things that are going to help me remember that I'm not hopeless. But I have great hope. You know, the word hope is a word that modern English has robbed it of its true meaning. Sometimes we say, I hope, like we say, I hope I win the lottery. I hope that I don't play the lottery, but you know, if I did, I would hope that I won. Boy, I hope this works out, but you know it's not going to. Now, you know, the word hope in the Bible is not, I hope that maybe it'll work out. The word hope in the Bible is actually a very firm, solid word. And the word hope means it's gonna happen, it's gonna be okay. And when the Bible says that we should hope in the Lord, that doesn't mean maybe God will come through by some cosmic event. When you say, I'm hoping in the Lord, it's something that's certain. And so Jeremiah, he's not saying, boy, I hope that this works out, but oh, well, if it doesn't. He says, no, I'm hoping in the Lord. He says, I'm trusting that God is gonna keep his word. Let me ask you a question. How many times has God failed to keep his word? The answer is zero, never. And so Jeremiah said, the circumstances are tough. But I'm still hopeful and hoping and knowing that God is going to be faithful. He says, I have hope. Can I tell you something that's wonderful? I have hope. I have hope. Everything's not going my way all the time. And my heart breaks and I deal with folks and things that are very hurtful and difficult at times and you do too. But we have hope in the Lord. We have hope for today. We have hope for tomorrow. We have hope for all of eternity. And in this passage of scripture, Jeremiah, in the depths of his lowness, is just going to say, hey, look, here's some things to remember. that gives us hope. I have hope. There are two main points and under them there will be some sub points. I want to talk to you about these two main points and share with you this passage of scripture this morning. The first point I want to make is this, I have hope because the Lord is good. You can't forget that God is good. The Lord is good. The second point we'll make this morning is this. I have hope because it is good. There are some things in our lives that are often uncomfortable, but God says these things are good. I have hope because the Lord is good. I have hope because it is good. Let's read together. Verse 22 through verse 29. This is our text for this morning. We'll begin there. The Bible says in Lamentations 3 verse 22, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust, If so be, there may be hope. " Let's consider these things this morning. Number one, I have hope because the Lord is good. Now, God's going to give us some things, and Jeremiah's going to be remembering. He's down in the dumps. He's got a broken heart. He's got a heavy chain in darkness. But he says, here's some things I remember that gives me hope and comfort, and I'm going to rest in the Lord. The first thing he says in light of the fact that I have hope, I have hope because the Lord is good. Verse number 22, he says the Lord is good because the Lord is a God of mercy. Verse 22, it says it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. Now I want you to understand something, God is a God of mercy. This is important to remember. Grace and mercy are often lumped together in one, but they're completely opposite. We talk about this occasionally, but this is something we've got to ground in our faith and understand about God and God's nature. God is a God of grace. The Bible says it like this, for by grace are you saved through faith. How did I get saved? I got saved by God's grace. Did I deserve to get saved? No, but I got something that I did not deserve because God is a God of grace. Grace is when you do get what you don't deserve. God gives us grace. He's gracious to us to give us salvation. But God is also merciful. Mercy and grace are not the same. Mercy is when you don't get what you do deserve. I remember one time in school. I'm very thankful for the mercy of quite a few teachers in my life when I went through school. Mercy. There's a few times that I got grades that I did not deserve. And it was of the teacher's mercies that I didn't fail. Hallelujah. Aren't you glad for mercy? I didn't deserve it. But the greatest mercy that's ever been given to me was the mercy that God gave me because the Bible says it's of the Lord's mercies that were not consumed. God gives me mercy. Look, I deserve, what do I deserve? The wages of sin is death. I deserve it. I deserve the penalty of my sin. But God is a God of mercy. And God grants mercy. He gives us what we don't deserve. Aren't you glad? How many of you, if you got everything you deserve, you'd be in bad shape. But God gives us mercy. And so Jeremiah says, look, it's tough, but I know something about God. God is a God of mercy. Look, you should glory in the fact that God is merciful. I've watched through the years as God's maturing and growing people in their faith, the reality that God is gracious, that God gives us what we don't deserve, and the reality that God is merciful, that God doesn't give us what we deserve. When you start to be able to bear up under the load of the goodness and glory of God and His mercy, it's something that gives you great peace. When you know, I don't deserve it, but God gave it anyway, and God is a God of mercy. It doesn't stop there. He says God's a God of mercy. Not only is God a God of mercy, but God is a God of compassion. The scripture says in verse 22, it is with the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. I'm thankful that God is a God of compassion. Have you ever been around somebody that was not compassionate? They couldn't give a rip if you were suffering any less. They don't care. No compassion. Let me tell you something, God calls us to be people of compassion, but we have a God that is full of compassion. You know what's amazing to me? That God is a God who cares about me. Now when I think about how big God is and how many people God cares for, I think, boy, surely I get lost in the crowd, but the truth is I don't. God's a God of compassion. The Bible says of Jesus that He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. And the Bible says of Jesus that He is touched. with the feelings of our infirmities. It's one of my favorite verses in the Bible. God actually feels the hurt that we hurt. He's a God of compassion. Now you're struggling today and we're not going to demean that or make it smaller but I want you to know God feels your pain and God is with you and God cares about you and God can and will use the struggles bring glory to himself. And you see, Jeremiah said, I don't understand why it's so rough at this moment, but God, I know that you are a God of mercy and a God of compassion. And what I go through, you're going through with me. If God's with you, do you think you can make it? The answer is yes. I have hope because the Lord is good. He has a God of mercy. He's a God of compassion. He's a God of faithfulness. The next passage here, the Bible says in verse 23, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. Let's back up there just a second. What is it the Bible says about God's mercies and his compassions? They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. You know something sweet? God gives us a fresh start. The Bible uses the picture of every morning we have a fresh start, but the truth is every moment that we want a fresh start with Jesus, we've got it. How many of you have a relationship and you messed up a long time ago? You did something you shouldn't have done, you said something you shouldn't have said, and because of that it's put a strain on your relationship? How many of you live life kind of in fear that you might do that with other relationships? You think, I want to be really careful, I walk on eggshells so that I don't make a mess out of this relationship. Let me tell you something, you don't have to do that with God. You know what's sweet about our relationship with our Creator and our Savior? His mercies are new every morning. I get a fresh start with God anytime I want it. He doesn't hold my past against me. That's good. The Lord is good. I have hope because the Lord is good. And the Bible says, great is thy faithfulness. Oh, I love the faithfulness of God. The faithfulness of God is something that gives us hope. How many times has someone confessed sin that it was not forgiven? Never. The Bible says we confess our sin to Jesus. He is faithful and just forgives our sins. God always keeps His word. He's always faithful. Look, I'm just going to tell you, it's the thing that gives me hope that I'm going to heaven someday. I know I'm going to heaven. You know why I know I'm going to heaven? Because God is faithful. I just know I'm going to heaven because God is faithful. I'm not going to heaven because Cody's faithful. Because I've blown it many times. Some of you have been there for it. I'm going to heaven because God is faithful. The Bible says, Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The best I knew how as a child, I called on the Lord and asked Him to forgive me and be my Savior. And God did. How do I know God did? He's faithful. He's faithful. He says, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. God's faithful. I have hope because God's faithful. There's never been a time that God didn't keep his word. I don't have to hold up my end of the deal. God's faithful. It's good. You know, I have hope because the Lord is good. He is faithful. The Bible says this, that, great is thy faithfulness. Verse 24, the Bible says, the Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him. The last thing that Jeremiah brings to our attention about the goodness of God is that God is my portion, the Lord is my portion. Now, Jeremiah lived in a time where there was concern about whether or not you'd have enough food, enough opportunity, enough provision. He was in a moment where there was a great concern about portion. Am I going to have what I need? For most of us, this is not a great concern, which is a blessing, but there are many exceptions. What if I don't have enough? If you don't have enough food, you let me know. We'll help you. Sometimes our concerns, as far as our portion and our provisions, they go further than just simply than food, clothing, and shelter. What if we don't have enough strength? We don't have enough health. We don't have enough patience. I'm going to tell you something. When you trust in the Lord, God has promised to be your great provider. I don't know how God's going to provide. I don't know how God's going to choose to provide, but you can trust Him. Jeremiah was at a moment in his life where he says, Lord, I need you. He says, and I have hope because you are a great provider. Trust in the Lord. Why do I have hope? I have hope because the Lord is good. Number two, I have hope because it is good. What's good? I'm going to share it with you. It is good. There's four things that's mentioned in the rest of this passage of scripture that we've read that God declares good, but I'm going to tell you what we declare. We declare it uncomfortable. It is good. Now, Jeremiah didn't come to this moment and all of his problems had all just gone away. Jeremiah didn't change his mind in the middle of chapter 3. In the beginning of chapter 3, I mean, it's rough, and then at the end of chapter 3, he's talking about, oh man, this is great, I'm hoping in God. Everything didn't change. All the circumstances didn't change. But one thing changed. It wasn't the circumstances, it was the heart of Jeremiah. If you're waiting for the moment when all the problems go away, before you can have peace, I'm going to be the most encouraging preacher in southwest Virginia today. You have no hope. But you know what happened to Jeremiah? Jeremiah said, hey look, I can trust God. And God is going to be faithful. And there are some things that God allows in our lives that are good that are uncomfortable for us. Look what he says, he says it really plain. He says in verse number 25, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him. to the soul that seeketh him." What does he say? The Lord is good for them that wait. Verse 26, it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. What does he say? He says it's good for a man to hope and wait. How many of you love to wait? We talk about this all the time, but it's fascinating to me. I'm not jumping from text to text as a general rule. I'm normally working through different passages of Scripture, but over and over and over again, God reminds us, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Waiting's good. God says it's good to wait. He says it's good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him. Look, if you're waiting on God and you don't have the answers right now, if you're waiting and you still have confusion, if you're waiting and you don't know where to turn exactly, if you're waiting and you don't know how it's going to come to pass, if you're waiting and your heart's burning, you're waiting. Let me just tell you something. You keep waiting on God. You keep trusting the Lord. Don't get in the flesh and start living in sin, trying to meet your own needs. Wait on God and wait on God quietly, knowing that God's going to prove Himself faithful. So, Jeremiah says, it's good to wait. This is a tough time, but I'm waiting on the Lord and I know it's good to wait. And I have hope because it's good to wait. He says in verse number 25, he says, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It's good to seek. It's good to seek. He's seeking the Lord. What's he doing? He's seeking the Lord. It's good to seek. If you found yourself in a spot today where you're seeking God, you need to thank Him for it. How many of you have found out that you seek the Lord more when everything's going great? How many of you found out you seek the Lord more when everything's going bad? Now, I'm not telling you that I want all bad things to happen to you. And God doesn't want all bad things to happen to you, but anytime you are faced with a crossroads, and you're faced with trouble that forces you to seek God, guess what you should do? You should thank Him for it, because it's good to seek the Lord. It's good to seek the Lord. It's good to wait. It's good to seek. Look at the bottom, it says, verse 27. I love this verse. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Now, us dads in the room, I like this verse because it gives me biblical grounds to make my children work for me. I love it, don't you? All the dads in the room say hallelujah, amen, whatever. It's good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth and it is important We teach our children to work and know how to do something. It's good. It's right. That's not the main emphasis in this passage of Scripture. It's good that a man bear the yoke in his youth. What's God getting at? What does He want us to know? He wants us to know that it's good to struggle. It's good to struggle. You look back on life and you remember the struggles. And you live in the struggles. But when you look back at the struggles, if you see God in your life and understand God's faithful, you look back at the struggles, and the struggles are the things that you know God was using. The struggles are the things that God has proved himself in. The struggles are the times that God has taught you. The struggles are the things that have made you who you are. the struggles. He says it's good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. He says it's good to struggle. He says I have hope because it is good. Do you know that God uses the struggles to make us strong? I remember playing high school football and there are a few things I hated about football. Mostly the conditioning. The worst thing to me, though, was we had two-day practices and we started first thing in the morning and the ground was wet with dew. And I hated this because the first thing we did was the coaches would make us sit down in the grass and do stretches. And I got wet first thing. Oh, I hated it. It was awful. Then the next thing that I hated was conditioning at the end. I was a big lineman, I know you find that hard to believe, but I was a big lineman and running sprints at the end of practice was something I didn't love. One of our coaches, you'll know him, Sam McKinney, his favorite thing to say when we were running and guys were struggling, he would yell out, he'd say, keep running boys, you pass out before you die, get another one. And I remember, man, I hated that. And through the years, I've watched my boys come in the back door just dragging from hard practices. But I'll tell you something, the struggle's good. Even to this day, I benefit from the struggle of high school sports. But I also benefit from The struggles of life. Because I've found in the struggles of life, God proves himself faithful. I've found in the struggles of life that there's hope on the other side of the struggle. And actually, not only is there hope on the other side, there's hope right in the middle of it. That's how God works. It's good for a man that he bared the yoke in his youth. I know as a father, you hate to watch your children struggle at anything. But when they bear up under the yoke of responsibility and struggle, you can know that it's good. God proves Himself. Have you ever seen the other side of that coin? Young adults who've never had to struggle at all, think everything should be handed to them? That is not a good by-product. So Jeremiah says, I'm just going to glory in the struggle. I'm going to recommend the struggle. I'm going to point people to the fact that they should welcome the struggle because the struggle is good. I have hope. It's good. He concludes with one last thing that I want you to see. The Bible says in verse 29, He putteth his mouth in the dust. If so be, there may be hope. He putteth his mouth in the dust." Now you imagine that picture for a minute. How in the world do you get your mouth in the dust? I'm going to tell you how you get your mouth in the dust. It's when you're on your face. I don't know where you are today, but you may be to a place where, look, I'm desperate. And you find yourself on your face before God. I want you to know that on your face before God, on your face before God is not a bad place. It's actually a great place. If you find yourself seeking the Lord, if you find yourself bowing before the Lord, if you find yourself, Lord, I don't know what to do. I don't know where to turn. I don't know how to deal with this. This is out of my control. Lord, help me. If you find yourself there, You found yourself in a place where there's hope. If you found yourself in a place where you think, I've got all this under control, I'm going to do my own way, I'm going to make my own path, that's not a hopeful spot. But the person who's before God, God, I want your will for my life. Lord, I need your help. That is a place of hope. You know what Jeremiah said? Circumstances around me are tough, but I have hope. I have hope. Look, you can be sure of this, God will prove himself faithful.