Lamentations 3:17-18, 21-24

Good morning!

Lamentations 3:17-18, 21-24: My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. Then I thought: My future is lost, as well as my hope from the LORD. Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.


I've been depressed before and have had my share of bad days, but can only think of one time in my life when I truly forgot what happiness was. That is not a fun place to be. When you've gotten to this point in life, you will usually be there awhile. This Scripture is not talking about your 24 hour deprivations of peace. This is the big time...you are in a hole of sadness...with no end in sight.

I was so close to never becoming a mother. I tried so hard to be positive, have faith, believe. But deep down, I was sinking into a trench where I couldn't remember what it felt like to be happy. The future that I had dreamed about for years and longed to have was lost. Year after year, problem after problem, failure after failure. Void of peace...unimaginable sadness...hopelessness.

But God never left me, even when I felt so alone. He always reminded me He was there. I remember having days when having a baby was all I could think about and many nights where I would cry myself to sleep. But I also remember those times when I could see my soon to be son's face, I swear I could. And I would press on. Hope would rise up in me, against all odds. I could have just given up...no one would have blamed me. But I held on and strived to get out of that black hole of sadness and hopelessness. The more I did that, the more I realized that as long as I had God's love, I would be alright. Even if my dream never came true, He would give me another dream. His love replaced that sadness and I found hope again.

I want to tell you today that His love can replace any sadness you have. You can have peace again. You can have hope in your heart again. You will remember what happiness feels like again. His never ending love is the key. His mercies are new every morning. Fight to get out of that pit...say it over and over again if you have to! The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.

I have happiness again in my life, peace flows in my life, and I have hope in the Lord. Not because my dream came true...not because I finally became a mother. Happiness, peace and hope are mine because of God's faithful love for me.

I love The Message version so I'll close with it: I gave up on life altogether. I've forgotten what the good life is like. I said to myself, "This is it. I'm finished. God is a lost cause." But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.