Reflection: Ways: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions:

                1. What images do the words "no escape," "chains," and "blocked ways" evoke? 

                2. What walls have barricaded you in?"

                3. What walls have you built up against yourself? Against others?

Share: How has the Lord released you from them?

Ways: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Lamentations 3:7-9: ".... Even when I cry out for help, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; ...".

Ways

It often can take a long time, Lord, for each of us to even begin to understand these words and others like them. Especially when Your words also invite us to come directly to You in prayer.

In all circumstances and situations.

But then maybe we are still like toddlers crying and asking for things that are not safe. Or will lead us into temptations and destruction. Because we have not grown enough to recognize the imitation lures.

So You over-ride our cries to keep us safe and turn instead to seek Your truth.

Please help us to accept closed prayers and closed doors with as much thankfulness as we respond to open ones.

Keep us only on Your road. The one not even a fool can fall off.

And show us how to recognize  and respond to any words Your Spirit speaks into us.

Please keep us listening--Your way.

Your thoughts, 

Distress: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

                           Distress

                        Walls breached

                        streets empty

                        silent distress

                        wails throughout.

                        Shadows creep

                        living dead

                        linger as corpses in

                        stricken city.

                        Lamentation

                        weaves darkness

                        wounded stagger

                        left to mourn.

Psalm 37:11: "But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity."

                         

Reflections: Walls: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions:

                1. Have you had a season of bitterness, either within yourself or from another?

                2. In what ways did it taint all aspects of your days?

                3. How did you find your light in that situation?

 Share: How does that experience guide you now in times of darkness?

Walls: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

 Reading: Lamentations: 3:4-6: "... He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship. In dark places he has made me dwell....".

Walls

Sometimes in difficult situations, and sometimes in our thoughts alone, we think we have been abandoned. But He is always with us.

It has taken many years for some of us to recognize why these pulls into dark places, but now we hope to turn to You immediately, or not wait too long to seek Your guidance.

We have not always understood and still may not fully grasp why. But maybe even without being able to identify the reason of the darkness we can truly understand there will come the power and the blessing of Your light in Your time.

And maybe instead of building a cold heart to others we can begin to understand and act with compassion?

Lord, please keep us in Your silence in all situations.

Your thoughts,

Driven: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

                         Driven

                        The light has left.

                        Alone now in

                        darkness, cut off

                        from wisdom

                        driven into affliction

                        by wrath

                        day to day

                        His words

                        disappear in emptiness

                        alone now barren.

                        The light has left.

Psalm 37:10: "Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there."

Reflection: Walk: Lamentations: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions 

    1. When did you feel driven into darkness--into affliction--into a sense of "against me alone"?

    2. Did you believe that God purposely sent you? Why? Why not?

    3. How do our reactions to darkness affect us when we believe that God is making us walk alone, or is walking by our side throughout?

Share: What promise from the Lord helps you cling to His light?