Lamentations 3:4-6 (CSB)

"He [God] has worn away my [Jeremiah] flesh and skin; he has broken my bones. He has laid siege against me, encircling me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those who have been dead for ages."

Meditation

Immense grief and suffering has a way of aging you. Here the prophet is still raw, honest, and hurt. The prophet still has a high view of God's sovereignty. However, the prophet's perspective seems to be that the Lord is against him. The language here is so vivid. Jeremiah feels worn. He feels broken. He feels pain. Bitterness and hardship seem to be at every corner, every turn. He resides in darkness and he has been there for a while. In short, Jeremiah feels hopeless. While I have never experienced the magnitude of suffering and grief Jeremiah experienced, I have been grieved. I have suffered. I do suffer. I have felt hopeless. This passage encourages me because the Lord uses it to remind me that I'm in good company. I'm in the company of a prophet and I know the end of this prophet's story: by the power of the Holy Spirit, he perseveres. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I too will persevere.