Oh what a hopeless situation!

Reflections from Lamentations 3:19-36

When were you last faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge?  As I was writing this piece, I received an e-mail addressed to youth leaders, children’s pastors, chairpersons and concerned ministers in the Egoli Presbytery.  In it Brendon points out that youth ministry in our denomination is in crisis!  He laments the fact that old fashioned methods are inadequate to reach modern youth; that we are not developing young leaders, and our Presbytery is the only one in the country without a youth committee.  What a hopeless situation, you might say.

The prophet Elijah must have felt that way (1Kings 19:3-5).  At one time or another each of us has had an Elijah experience where we have felt nothing was going to work.  If you are at that point today, ask the Spirit to remind you that there are no hopeless situations with God.  Huge challenges do come our way, but there is always hope for the believer.

Lamentations also points to a time crisis.  The background to the book was the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, with Israel taken to exile in Babylon.  It was a truly hopeless situation.

Yet hope returns as the writer remembers God’s unfailing love and compassion (v 22) which are new every morning because of his great faithfulness (v 23).  God proves himself over and over again to all those whose hope is in him (v 25).  For them, there are no hopeless situations.  When we are faced with devastating trials some of us are inclined to rush around and panic.

Lamentations advises us to pause and be silent before the Lord (28) in the knowledge that there may yet be hope (29), even for a vibrant youth ministry in our Presbytery and at local church level.

Let us never stop thanking the Lord for the youth group at St Mark’s.  Pray for Elvis and those who work with him.  If possible, call in on a Friday evening between 17:30 and 19:30 and encourage them.

Shalom,

Moshe.