“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.” Lamentations 2:19
I’ve always loved that verse. The poetic nature, the imagery of a parent standing guard over their children in the middle of the night, lifting their hands to the Lord. It’s a verse I’ve claimed and lived out many times as I found myself worried about decisions my children were making.
But just recently I read through Lamentations again and the context of this verse, this scripture that is so precious to me, hit me fresh and anew. I love how that happens, by the way. How something I’ve read for years and years can suddenly seem like a passage I’ve never seen before.
The context, though, often changes everything.
The book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, and here in the second chapter, he is calling out to God’s people, begging them to turn back to the Lord. He’s showing them just how far gone they actually are, that God is going to set their enemies against them, that they will be defeated, all because of their rebellion and disobedience.
Jeremiah is showing Israel their depravity. Explaining to them just how evil they’ve become. And then he says this:
“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.”
He’s calling them to repentance, imploring them to pour out their hearts to the Lord in hopes that He will forgive and restore them.
The book of Lamentations doesn’t paint a pretty picture. It’s a story of the fall of Israel and God’s punishment.
If I’m not careful, I can read those scriptures and think, “I would never act like them. I would never turn away from God the way they have.”
Except that wouldn’t be true. I turn away from Him every day when I choose Netflix over prayer time. When I choose anger over patience. When I choose worry over trust.
Every. Day. I act just like the Israelites. And tonight, with this realization, my heart breaks over my sin.
So I arise.
I cry out in the night.
I pour out my heart like water in the presence of my God, in the presence of my Jesus.
I repent and turn from my selfish desires.
And I know that in His goodness and grace, He forgives.
He loves.
What do you need to repent of today? Talk to the One who has the power to forgive. He is waiting.