Focus

Relax and clear your head. Listen for the voice of God. What is God saying to you today?

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Read

Lamentations 5:1-7, 19-22 (NRSV)

Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us;
look, and see our disgrace!
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to aliens.
We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
With a yoke on our necks we are hard driven;
we are weary, we are given no rest.
We have made a pact with Egypt and Assyria,
to get enough bread.
Our ancestors sinned; they are no more,
and we bear their iniquities.
But you, O LORD, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
Why have you forgotten us completely?
Why have you forsaken us these many days?
Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored;
renew our days as of old—
unless you have utterly rejected us,
and are angry with us beyond measure.

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Reflect

As I read this chapter from Lamentations, my first thought was of those who have had to give up their inheritances, their homelands, their way of life. Even in Old Testament times, people fled from their homes in fear of their lives, or were displaced due to famine or war.

There is a lot of negativity about those who are currently seeking asylum in the United States, as well as in other countries around the world. These people have left behind everything in hopes of a better, safer, more peaceful future for themselves and their families. These people include business owners, teachers, and laborers.

Have you ever asked yourself why people are willing to give up everything and leave their inheritances behind? Life must be pretty awful for them to consider doing so. In many countries, the women live in constant fear of rape and murder. They watch their children go hungry and do without the basic necessities of life.

You may not agree with me, but I think God calls us to lift the burdens of those who are struggling—whether they are citizens of our country or not. We are all God’s people and, as such, share in the inheritance of God’s kingdom.

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Pray

God, make us more aware of those around us and more willing to reach out to those who are struggling under the weight of many burdens. Amen.

Go with God!