I remember my affliction and my wanderings, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Lamentations 3:19-20
How well do you remember things from your life? Is it hard? Are they repressed? Are they different than other family member’s memories? Do you act out on those memories?
Read Lamentations 3:17-20. Can you relate to the emotions implied and expressed in this passage? How actively do you remember your previous afflictions? If you have lived for a while, you probably have plenty of them. Which ones stand out to you the most?
Have you ever had a season of wondering? Read Isaiah 29:13. We can wander in our hearts even if our mouths remain close to God, and our bodies will occupy a church pew. What can you remember about this season of wandering?
What memories do you have that bring the most bitterness and animosity to you? How often does your mind turn to these memories or their effects?
Read one more time Lamentations 3:20. When you remember things, does your soul sometimes become downcast within you? Describe what these kinds of memories can do to you if you let them. When we meditate on our afflictions and wanderings, the bitterness and animosity can depend on our souls feeling downcast. Our innermost self will act on what we remember most.
Read Lamentations 3:17-25. What specific ways did Jeremiah refocus? Turn to Psalm 42 and read the entire psalm. Do you see the mood shifts and mental shifts? God doesn’t forget his children. On the flip side of that, though, we, his children, can forget this fact and feel forgotten. Often our feelings are not accurate of what is really going on.
From the context of this passage, what do you think motivated his downcast estate? In Psalm 42:5, the psalmist talked about his own soul. What did he say to it? Have you ever talked to your own soul? If you did, what did you say?
Our freedom in God emerges from deliberate acts of the will to shift our focus from all that begs to be different to the great and glorious truth of the living God. God has been faithful; we need to remember this. We also need to remember that we act out on what we remember.
Now let’s focus on the second fifth of our lives. This is from Ages _____ to _____. However, you figured out your fifths. How is your home life like in this time frame of your life? What did you learn about God during these years that you realize in retrospect was accurate? Did you perceive or were you taught anything new about God that you now realized in retrospect that isn’t accurate?
How did God make sure you knew the truth? Was it during this time, or was it later?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for not forgetting about us. Help us to remember that you never leave or forget us. Help us to focus on you and your truths.
In Jesus Name
Amen
