Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him…

Lamentations 3:22-25

I was selecting lettuce in the produce section of the grocery store, when someone called my name. There stood my friend, who looked quite different from the last time I had seen him. He was thinner. He had no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. This friend was being treated for cancer.

I asked how he was, and from his lips came praise after praise of God. He chose to use one of the most difficult times of his life as an opportunity to exalt God. Years have passed, but the picture of that bald man boldly testifying of God’s goodness and sovereignty still impacts me today.

Praising Jesus in the hardest of times will impact lives around you. I went into that grocery store for lettuce. I came out worshiping the Lord!

When Babylon conquered Judah, the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple were left in shambles. Yet, in the hardest of times, the writer of Lamentations chose to boldly praise the Lord. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he penned verses of praise that are still impacting lives today!

When life as he had known it crumbled, the writer said of God, The LORD is my portion (Lamentations 3:24). This man’s faith wasn’t rooted in a nation, city, or any temporal thing. His faith rested in the unchanging Lord. Though life as he had known it was gone, he could praise God, who would forever remain the same. He could rest, knowing his position and inheritance in the Lord were secure.

Is your life in shambles? Why not follow this writer’s example? Reflect upon God’s unchanging character and proclaim His goodness to others. Your praise may be the very thing God uses to lead someone to Him.  

Jan Burkhart