2/27/26

Have you ever questioned God about your struggles? Have you ever blamed Him for the suffering in life? Many prophets having written much of scripture, have shared their times of struggle. Elijah ran and hid from a woman as he feared for his life. Hosea's wife cheated on and left him multiple times for harlotry. Ezekiel lost his wife while being obedient to the Lord. John the Baptist was beheaded. Paul was stoned. Then there is Jeremiah. He was probably the prophet who suffered the most.

He wrote the book of Lamentations which is a lament of suffering.

In our text today we see the purpose of suffering and the futility of our sinful thoughts that lay the blame at God's feet.

Lamentations 3:37-41 NASB95 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven;

We must understand that nothing happens without the authorization of God. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it?

Satan could not tempt or torture Job but by the allowance and the authorization of God. Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?

Satan, in his desire to destroy Job still had to work within the confines of what God would allow.

Man tends to look at this and blame God. However, it is God who offers us life eternal without suffering. It was man who chose and still chooses to live in sin. Sin has the consequences of not receiving the eternal life that God offers. Unless the debt of sin be paid by one who has no debt. Jesus did this as a second gift and offer of eternal life. God's first warning to man was that they would lose the gift of eternal life in His presence if they went out of His will. Genesis 2:16-17 NASB95 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Man has no one to blame but himself for the struggles and hardships of life. Life was a gift man corrupted it with sin and yet God offers it again through Jesus.

Jeremiah explains this in the next verse of our text. Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins

When we see that our sins are what bring about the struggles and God gave a clear warning of this. When we see our sins reach out with tentacles of suffering from generation to generation. When we see that the suffering we experience is of our own making and that our sin causes the struggles of others then how can we blame a God who offers us the gift of His presence without sin?

Jeremiah then tells us what to do. Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven.

Examine and see that we are at fault. Then repent and turn back to the LORD. We should praise Him.

All of the suffering that God allows us is meant to bring man back to righteousness.

Hebrews 12:4-11 NASB95 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Repent, lift up your hands, and praise the Lord. Stop blaming Him. Instead, like the prophets, thank Him that He considers you worthy of chastisement.

We speak badly of sin and hold those in it accountable not because of hate but instead because of love!

We struggle because of our sin. Thank you God for chastising us, in order to bring us back to you. May we not run from but stay in our struggle until you are glorified!

Love Bro. Scott