“How lonely sits the city that was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.” Lamentations:1-2 NKJV
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”” Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV
God of Comfort,
Leviticus was written by someone left in Judah after Jerusalem fell. It is a heartfelt lamentation (a passionate expression of deep grief, sorrow, or regret). Possibly by Jeremiah. And if we could read it in the Hebrew of the Bible we would see the added beauty of its poetry. Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 use an acrostic structure each verses begins with sequential letter of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet. I am told!
There is everything to mourn for and complain about. Much weeping. A hard read. A man under God’s judgement with no way out (Lamentations 3:1-18). Even the essential of life, their water and wood, they had to pay for (Lamentations 5:4).
Then in the middle is a little beam of light. Like a lighthouse shining in a black storm bringing a glimmer of hope. Not everything is lost. I chose to pause from reading there for today. Sometimes we need to pour out our human feelings to You. Empty ourselves and then look and wait as the writer does (Lamentations 3:25-30). And there is a glimmer of light. And all the time history was working towards Your Son coming as their Light of the world, and ours. We join with the writer of Lamentations by declaring that Your mercy and compassion fails not and are new every morning – every hour – every minute – every millisecond. We are rescued.
In Jesus name we pray,Amen.
Worship Sunday 9th August 2026
Choice of thoughtful or cheerful?
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won’t walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, woah
You are the peace in my troubled sea, yeah
In the silence, You won’t let go
In the questions, Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, woah
You are the peace in my troubled sea, yeah
My lighthousе, my lighthouse
Shining in the darkness, I will follow You
My lighthousе, my lighthouse
I will trust the promise
You will carry me safe to shore
Safe to shore – Safe to shore – Safe to shore
I won’t fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I’ll rise and sing
My God’s love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea, woah
You are the peace in my troubled sea, yeah
Chorus
Fire before us, You’re the brightest
You will lead us through the storms x 3
Chorus
Lyrics: Gareth Gilkeson and Chris Llewellyn of Rend Collective