Lamentations 3:26-27
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Life is full of trials, heartache and affliction. Some are a result of our own doing, some a result of another’s actions and some are of God’s design with reasons known only to Him (e.g. Job). Growing in age does not lessen the afflictions, and in some cases trials only intensify as with Jeremiah. The question is not “Will I encounter trials and afflictions?” for such is life in a sin corrupted world. The correct questions are “How will I handle trials and afflictions when they call?” “Will I react to difficult times with anxiety, doubt and emotional turmoil?” Or, “Will I respond with patient endurance strengthened by a quiet hope?” The answers to these questions will be closely related to one’s prior conditioning and preparation. Thus the old prophet weeps and muses as he looks over his beloved Jerusalem with a broken heart. Jerusalem, the once proud jewel of Israel with her impenetrable walls and magnificent temple which now laid in shambles, devastated by the judgment of God by the hands of the hated Babylonians. As he looks over such a pitiful carnage the old prophet explains, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.” As Jeremiah experiences the deep pain of affliction he realizes that it is good for a man to experience the yoke of affliction while he is yet young to prepare him for the afflictions of tomorrow. This will teach him where to place his hope and how to wait quietly on the Lord. These are lessons learned only by experience, but lessons which need to learned so that one can navigate and endure the hardships which life brings. Therefore, let us not run away from pain. The brush fires of today will prepare us for the raging forest fires of tomorrow.
