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An Elder Speaks
God’s Goodness to the Faithful
By Ronald Thompkins
May 23, 2004
25 Jehovah is good unto them that
wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should
hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he
bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep
silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the
dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him
that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off
for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet
will he have compassion according to the multitude of
33 For he doth not afflict
willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
(Lamentations 3:25-33, ASV)
Access to God’s goodness has
always been conditional. In verse 25 of this text it is to
those who are in His covenant relationship who wait for Him
and who seek Him.
In this day of impatience and
almost everything has an instance version, coupled with the
fact Satan has become more inventive than ever in his manner
of placing obstacles on the path to salvation; the toughest
challenge of today’s Christian is to wait on the Lord and
through all of life’s trials, tribulations and temptations to
continually seek Him.
Jeremiah in this text reminds
ancient Judah that it is good to accept quietly the
chastisement and character molding that one experiences as a
youth from good parents. This passage is also a reference for
youth to seek the Lord while they are young; before their
hearts become heartened to the Word of God. This is to be done
in perfect submission to God’s will by alluding to the ancient
expression “put your mouth to the dusk” to illustrate this
submission. As another part of building the Christian
character the above text offers the “turn the other cheek”
principle when those in God’s covenant relationship are
confronted by those who do them wrong..
The submissive child of God is
asked to always remember that God’s chastisement for wrong
doings will not last forever. We are to also remember that
although He has caused grief upon those who have sinned, His
love endures forever.
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