Lamentations 4:13-20 (NRSV)
Read Lamentations 4:13-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 13It was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her. Verse 14Blindly they wandered through the streets, so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments. Verse 15"Away! Unclean!" people shouted at them; "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; it was said among the nations, "They shall stay here no longer." Verse 16The Lord himself has scattered them, he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. Verse 17Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; we were watching eagerly for a nation that could not save. Verse 18They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come. Verse 19Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness. Verse 20The Lord's anointed, the breath of our life, was taken in their pits- the one of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations."
Devotion
Sometimes we experience evil because of what we ourselves have done. We may suffer horrendous consequences, not unlike those faced by Israel in the fall of Jerusalem. Israel’s own Davidic king (the Lord’s anointed) did not have a shadow long enough to protect them from the disastrous effects of their misdeeds. Nor do our own leaders have such a shadow. In the midst of such times, our only hope is to trust in God’s promises, knowing that God’s steadfast love for us will never cease and God will be with us through such grueling times.
Prayer
Comforting God, be close to us as we pass through difficult times of our own making. Calm our fears and anxieties. Use such times as an occasion to teach us ever anew that you love us and are for us in spite of ourselves. Amen.