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When I was a little girl, I asked my nana what her favorite book in the bible was. She said "Lamentations", which I thought was strange. In my mind, Lamentations was a hard and boring book to read. It held little meaning for me.
As an adult who has experienced some more of life's ups and downs, I have come to appreciate it more. Today, I am reflecting on these words of lament, spoken in Israel's hardest times and I am encouraged to put hope in God: "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentation 3:22-23). It's good to be reminded to put our eyes on God and put our hope in Him, especially when times are tough. These words are specifically encouraging to Christians suffering in other parts of the world today where persecution and the real threat of being executed for one's faith exists. This Sunday I will speak from Lamentations about the suffering of Christians all over the world. It is the beginning of Barnabas Aid's Suffering Church Action and Awareness Week. Children are likely to be present in the service, I won't go into much depth or detail of the suffering and deaths of many Christians. Rather, I include a link here for people who would like to read more. Persecution Overview | Barnabas Aid Bible Study Guide HERE It may cause us sadness to think about these things, but it is important so that we learn to stand alongside our suffering Church family and make known their situation and demonstrate Christ’s love to them in prayer and practical actions. I pray we all are encouraged to put our hope in God, and trust in his faithfulness, no matter what is going on in our lives. Bible discussion sheets will be available on Sunday if you'd like to discuss in small groups or reflect more at home. Yours in Christ, Rev Tanya
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