A Broken Heart
“Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.” Lamentations 3:49-50
The book of Lamentations is believed to have been written by Jeremiah who was known as the “weeping prophet”. He prophesied during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoichin, and Zedekiah, successive kings of the southern kingdom of Judah during the days when Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The word “divided” when speaking of nations usually indicates conflict, turmoil, and perhaps war. Josiah was a righteous king, but after his death Judah went downhill quickly resulting in their captivity by Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin, an evil and weak king. I can see some parallels between ancient Judah and our nation today.
Jeremiah was persecuted for his prophecy and his urging of his fellow Jews to turn back to God. His heart was broken over the condition of his beloved Jerusalem and its inhabitants, who had found themselves in such an uncertain and insecure situation because they had abandoned the God of Israel and had turned to idolatry. Why would God bless a nation that turns against Him? Is America in the same place today as Israel was a couple of thousand years ago? Have we become a nation of idol worshippers who have abandoned our dependence upon God and have turned to idols of our own making? Those who keep track of statistics tell us that church attendance is down, that more and more people claim to have no belief in a sovereign Creator, or if they do claim to believe in God, they don’t honor Him as such.
We need to be like Jeremiah, to weep and mourn over our sin and the sins of our nation. God appeared to Solomon and promised that if His people, those called by His name, would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, then He will hear them, forgive their sin, and heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14). I am heartbroken over the state of America, and unless we follow God’s command, we are headed for the dustbin of history. Nevertheless, those of us who love God and care about our fellowman need not hang our heads in despair, but rather keep up the good fight of faith. Every new day is an opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Who knows? Somebody’s life might just get changed for the better.