Free from Despair
Lamentations 3
Review
· Hope in Christovercomes fear.
· God is going to use this to spread the gospel
· God is going to use this to develop us
· Christians can overcome despair
Despair is the overwhelming sense that life is going nowhere.
Lamentations
· Laments of the prophet Jeremiah
· The book of lamentations is a Hebrew work of Art. It consists of 5 acrosticpoems.
· Israel is being punishedfor their sin. They had endured violent deportations, their citywas destroyed and the center of their religionwas demolished.
Jeremiah’s worldview
· He believed God was in controlof all events.
· God often does things in a way that we would never choose.
2 Christian views of suffering
1. God is enough.
2. God will turn tragedy into triumph.
WHY GOD?
· He is accomplishing His purposesin the world.
· He is purifyingyour Heart.
· He is preparing you for ministry.
RESPONDING TO HARDSHIP
Express your feelingsto God.
Understand that God is bigger than the moment.
Set your eyes on what you know God has done, not what He is doing that you cannot understand.
Remember that God’s greatest workis often accomplished in our darkest hours
Believe God works all things out for the good of those who love Him, even when it seems to take a while.
