Spurgeon Morning and Evening May 28 PM

Biblical Context

The book of Lamentations is a sorrowful poem, a collection of five elegies, written by the prophet Jeremiah. He’s often known as the ‘weeping prophet.’ These poems come from a time of deep national disaster for Judah, specifically after the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple in 586 BC. Imagine a city that was once the pride of God’s people, now lying in ruins. The people are taken into exile, suffering unimaginable pain and loss. Jeremiah witnessed this utter devastation firsthand. He wrote Lamentations not just to mourn, but also to express the deep spiritual anguish of a people who felt abandoned by God, even as he knew their suffering was a result of their disobedience. Amidst this raw, heart-wrenching sorrow, Lamentations 3 is a unique chapter where Jeremiah, despite the incredible pain, finds a sliver of hope. He moves from despair to remembering God’s mercy, even in the darkest night.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word ‘hope’ from Lamentations 3:21. In Hebrew, the word used here is ‘tiqvah’ (תִּקְוָה). This isn’t just a wishful thought, like ‘I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.’ Instead, ‘tiqvah’ carries a stronger meaning. It refers to an ‘expectation,’ a ‘cord,’ or a ‘line.’ Think of it like a rope thrown to someone drowning, a firm line that you can grasp and pull yourself to safety. It means a confident waiting, an assurance that good things are coming, even when everything around you looks bleak. It often speaks of something certain that you can hold onto, a belief in a future reality based on something trustworthy. For Jeremiah, in the midst of ruin, remembering God’s character and past faithfulness gave him a solid ‘tiqvah’ – a strong, reliable cord of expectation for better days, not based on his circumstances, but on God’s nature.

Memory, a Tricky Partner

Memory, you know how it is, can often feel like a slave to sadness. When your mind’s stuck in despair, it’s like it pulls up every dark prediction from the past. It just wants to focus on every gloomy bit of the present. This way, memory, dressed in sadness, hands you a cup filled with bitter gall and wormwood. It’s like you’re forced to drink down all the bad stuff again and again. You might think there’s no way out of this cycle, but that’s not true at all.

Transforming Memory into Comfort

There really isn’t any need for memory to act this way. Wisdom can actually transform your memory into an angel of comfort. That very same recollection that seems to bring so many bad signs in its left hand, can be trained. You can teach it to carry a whole lot of hopeful signs in its right hand. Your memory doesn’t have to wear a crown of iron, weighing you down. Instead, it can wrap its brow with a golden band, all sparkly with stars of hope. This is exactly what happened in Jeremiah’s own life.

Jeremiah’s Turning Point

Just before our verse for today, memory had pushed Jeremiah into a really low place in his soul. He says, “My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me” (Lamentations 3:20). He was remembering all the suffering, all the pain, and it brought him to a state of deep humility and sadness. But right after that, this very same memory—the one that had brought him so low—restored him. It brought him back to life and comfort. He then declares, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope” (Lamentations 3:21). It’s like his memory was a two-edged sword. First, it cut down his pride with one edge, making him humble. Then, it cut through his despair with the other, bringing him hope.

Finding Light in the Darkest Moments

It’s a general principle: if we just used our memories smarter, we could, even in our very worst distress, strike a match. This match could instantly light up the lamp of comfort. You don’t need God to create something brand new on the earth just to bring joy back to you as a believer. If you’d just prayerfully poke through the ashes of your past, you’d find light for right now. And if you’d turn to the book of truth—the Bible—and the throne of grace in prayer, your candle would soon shine just like it used to. It’s up to us to make sure we remember the Lord’s kindness and talk about all the good things He’s done for us.

The Volume of Recollection

Let’s open up that book of recollection we all have. It’s actually really bright with memories of God’s mercy. If you do this, you’ll find yourself happy pretty fast. So, memory can really be, as Coleridge called it, “the bosom-spring of joy.” And when the Divine Comforter, the Holy Spirit, uses it for His work, it can be one of the best earthly comforters you’ll ever have. It’s not about ignoring the hard things, but about remembering what God did through them, and where His help showed up.