Thankful for His Sacrifice

Lamentations 1:6-10a, 18-20

6 All the majesty of beautiful Jerusalem
has been stripped away.
Her princes are like starving deer
searching for pasture.
They are too weak to run
from the pursuing enemy.

7 In the midst of her sadness and wandering,
Jerusalem remembers her ancient splendor.
But now she has fallen to her enemy,
and there is no one to help her.
Her enemy struck her down
and laughed as she fell.

8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly,
so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag.
All who once honored her now despise her,
for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated.
All she can do is groan
and hide her face.

9 She defiled herself with immorality
and gave no thought to her future.
Now she lies in the gutter
with no one to lift her out.
“Lord, see my misery,” she cries.
“The enemy has triumphed.”

10 The enemy has plundered her completely,
taking every precious thing she owns.

18 “The Lord is right,” Jerusalem says,
“for I rebelled against him.
Listen, people everywhere;
look upon my anguish and despair,
for my sons and daughters
have been taken captive to distant lands.

19 “I begged my allies for help,
but they betrayed me.
My priests and leaders
starved to death in the city,
even as they searched for food
to save their lives.

20 “Lord, see my anguish!
My heart is broken
and my soul despairs,
for I have rebelled against you.
In the streets the sword kills,
and at home there is only death.

These verses speak to the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. I am so thankful that these verses do not apply to me or my family. Having Christ as our redeemer we do not ever need to feel as if the Lord has left us or abandoned us. His Word says just the opposite. I also know that God does not do bad things to me. He may allow the results of my bad decisions play out and I suffer the consequences, but He does not cause them to happen.

Verse 9 is key for me in the fact that Jerusalem "gave no thought to her future". That tells me that the citizens of that once great city were living in the moment. They did not think through the results of their decisions or actions. They were caught up with the emotion of the moment and just went with it. It is when we do those things that we get into the most trouble. The devil will come around and start working on our flesh and if we are not walking closely with the Lord we will give in to our flesh. As soon as we do that the temptor is right there to condemn us for our actions. That is not the Holy Spirit doing it to us. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit is leading us to the love of God. That is his job for us here on earth. He is to lead us to the Truth and that Truth will set us free. Jesus died on the cross for us so that we would not have to live under that condemnation. That does not give us the license to sin. It does provide us with the comfort to know that when we do fall into sin that He is there to lift us up and tell us that He loves us. When we acknowledge that we have sinned and ask for forgiveness it is done and over with according to God. Praise God!

I am truly thankful for the work of Jesus on the cross for my sins. I am also thankful that He did not do it just for me (although He would have) and that He did it for everyone. He didn't limit who could accept the gift of salvation. He did it knowing that all would not accept it, yet He went through a horror that I could not even fathom so that all could have the chance at redemption. What love that is. I can't wait to thank Him face to face for it when I see Him in heaven. I will work each day to reveal His plan to others so that they too can experience the freedom that comes in knowing Him. I am thankful for the work He has done in my life and through my life. I will work hard to put down my flesh and live by the spirit. I praise Him today for He is worthy to be praised. I give Him all the glory and honor that are due the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Amen.

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved