“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “ Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:21 – 26 NKJ
What is your reaction when you wake up the day after disaster has struck your life? Is your mind consumed with thoughts of doubt, worry, and fear? Or is it full of memories of God’s mercy and compassion in light of what Jesus did for you at the Cross? Do you ask God why He has caused or allowed this disaster? Or do you remind yourself that God is in the midst of your disaster, full of mercy and compassion, ready to rebuild your life? For years I was the one full of doubt, fear, and worry, and I was the one who shook my fist at God and asked Him how He could allow such tragedy to befall me. I would replay Old Testament stories like the story of Job and say things like “Well God gives and God takes away, so I guess I have to accept that God brought this about to teach me a lesson.”
Then one day when reading Lamentations 3 something changed as the Holy Spirit began to give me wisdom and understanding in regards to my New Covenant relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. While it is true that God brought calamity to the lives of people in the Old Testament and He dealt harshly with them at times, this is not the way he deals with us today. At the Cross Jesus took on all the wrath and anger of God towards His people, and He paid the price for all the punishment that we rightfully deserve! All calamities that rightfully belonged to us Jesus died for! And when Jesus stepped out of the tomb He became the embodiment of God’s mercy, grace, and compassion for eternity!
The Holy Spirit then spoke to me and told me that when I read the Old Testament I need to read it with the illumination of the Cross as my reference. He told me to go back and read stories like Job and Jeremiah’s words in Lamentation 3, and look for Christ’s New Covenant testimony. I obeyed and what I discovered changed my thought process in the midst of life’s disasters forever! I no longer identify myself with the people of the Old Testament; I identify myself with the message of the Gospel in the lives of the people of the Old Testament.
For example: Job 1:21 says, “And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” I used to read this and adopt a “woe is me” mindset which caused me to dwell on the disaster as a part of God’s divine plan for my life. With the new revelation from the Holy Spirit and with the illumination of the Cross as my reference, I now quote the second part of that verse. “Blessed be the name of the Lord, in the midst of this disaster, for at the Cross Christ paid the price for me and He will deliver me from this disaster!”
In reference to lamentations 3, I use to read the first part of the passage and recount all the things that have happened in my life where tragedy struck, and I would adopt a “this is the way God deals with me” mindset. This mindset led me to shake my fist at God and ask Him how He could allow such tragedy to befall me. With the new revelation from the Holy Spirit and with the illumination of the Cross as my reference, I now quote verses 21 -26. I then remind myself where my hope comes from and I quote Colossians 1:27, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Are you beginning to see the difference? One mindset leads to doubt, fear, and worry. The other mindset leads to faith, hope, and joyful expectation of what God is doing in the midst of the disaster. Now when I wake up the morning after disaster has struck my life, I recall the mercy and compassion of God by reminding myself of the finished work of the Cross! I remind myself that Christ in me is the hope of glory that will get me through the disaster, and I am filled with praises of God’s faithfulness! I also remind myself that God is no longer just my portion, but rather, the fullness of God through Jesus Christ is within me. Ephesians 3:19 says, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” I want to encourage you to spend time asking the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding in regards to the finished work of the Cross. Ask Him to illuminate the Old Testament Scriptures with the light that comes from the finished work of the Cross!
Prayer: I praise You for Your mercy and compassion that was given to me for eternity through the sacrifice of Your Son on the Cross! I will remind myself of the meaning of the finished work of the Cross when I read the Old Testament so I can see all Your benefits that come with the New Covenant relationship through Jesus! When disaster strikes my life I will set my mind on Jesus Christ as my propitiation. Great is Your faithfulness oh Lord my God! Amen
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