The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:25-26
Good in the Middle of the Wreckage
Lamentations is a book of complaints, a couple of chapters written during the Israelite exile several thousand years before Christ's birth. But in the midst of all these complaints, the author still writes about how good the Lord is and to whom the Lord is good. He specifically calls out those whose hope is in Him.
So, while the author is in this hopeless situation, he still says that the Lord is good because his hope is in the Lord. It goes on to say that the Lord is good to those who seek Him, those who earnestly try to see God moving even in tough circumstances. "These people wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord," the scripture says, and it notes that these are good things, good qualities to have.
Things may not look good to the author of Lamentations right now, but he knows that the author of life is good, that it is still good to have hope in Him, knowing that the Lord is able to move, and He is mighty to save. So it is still worth it to seek Him, to wait quietly, and to watch for the salvation that the Lord will bring.
Seeking Him Beyond Sunday
A simple way that this applies to our lives today is that, obviously, we're not in exile anymore—at least not in the physical sense—but we all go through circumstances and life situations that are not ideal. In those situations, we need to remind ourselves that the Lord is still good, the Lord is still mighty to save, and the Lord is still working on our behalf. So while our situation may seem hopeless, while we may seem all but lost, we can know that the Lord is good for those who have hope in Him.
Practically, this looks like seeking the Lord throughout the week. It's beyond just going to church on Sunday and listening to a worship song or two; it's actually spending time with the Lord. There are many ways you can do this—reading the Bible, reading devotionals, going for a walk and praying. The options are really endless. But I do know one thing: the Lord desires to hear your voice. So pray. Pray earnestly, seek the Lord, and then wait quietly to see what He does.
Prayer
Father, thank you for all that you're doing in our lives. Help us to earnestly seek you and to find you in the quiet. Help us to still our hearts and our minds and seek you in prayer, through spending daily time with you, and through our interactions with others. We know that you are good, that you are mighty, and that you are there for us. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.