SUMMARY: Splendor gone
OVERVIEW: The poet personifies Jerusalem as a grieving widow who laments the sin in the city because its residents did not choose to follow God.
BIG IDEA: You never find in sin what you hoped to discover.
KEY VERSE: Lamentations 1:22 (Jerusalem cries out to God)
Look at all their evil deeds, Lord. Punish them, as you have punished me for all my sins. My groans are many, and I am sick at heart.
IF GOD WROTE YOU A LETTER
The look, the feel, and the smell of sin are alluring. It is so enticing and sweet. No wonder you and others are attracted to it. I want to teach you to discover what I see behind the attraction and sweet aroma. I see the pain and putrid odor of death. I see the sting and anguish of deception. I see the defeat and shame on those who did not receive what sin had promised.
Turn away from sin and turn to me. I am the one who will give you the satisfaction and peace and joy and fulfillment you desire. I will never reject you when you turn to me, even though you have forsaken me in the past. As long as there is air in your lungs, you have time to turn to me. You will never find in sin what you were looking for, but you will always find more than you could have imagined when you turn to me and trust me and my way.
NEXT STEP
Reflect on your life and ask God if there are any changes you need to make but have been ignoring. Is there a habit to break, a relationship to mend, a decision to be made?
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