Stafford Baptist Church "The Green"

There is a book in the Bible that I don’t ever recall preaching from, It’s a book that until recently I’ve mostly ignored, but in recent days I have read it and spent some time in serious contemplation over its words. The book is in the Old Testament and is called Lamentations, you can find it snuggled between the two mighty prophets of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, I wonder if you have read it.

I guess it has gone unread and un-preached because it’s subject matter can seem somewhat depressing, it consists of five short poems lamenting the captivity of God’s people to the Babylonians and more specifically the destruction of Jerusalem the city of God.

As I’ve read it pages and pondered the current situation of our own nation, particularly in light of revelations concerning abuse of expenses by our politicians I sympathise greatly with the poet as he laments the state of Israel in his time. Israel was in a terrible mess and the writer of Lamentations recognised that it was no ones fault but there own, they had sinned against the Lord and turned from his ways and the punishment was just and God had acted righteously, yet he interceded on behalf of the people of which he was apart, calling the people to repentance and God to respond to the penitent heart.

“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.”     (Lamentations 2v19 TNIV)

I believe as the people of God we need to arise and cry out to God on behalf of our sin ravaged nation and ask him to move mightily in these days, only a touch from God will cause the people to turn away from their sins and back to the living God again. It’s not just about politicians expenses or deception or greed, it is about the state of the heart of the nation itself that needs to be healed.

So I summon you to prayer, real prayer, focussed prayer, prayer that is dangerous and subversive, prayer that touches heaven night and day, prayer that echoes with passion and compassion, that this sin exiled nation of ours may know the restoring hand of God, who loved the world so much he gave his one and only Son to rescue us from the grip of evil. Pray knowing what the writer of Lamentations knew

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself,” The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

(Lamentations 3:22-24 TNIV)

That’s a real statement of faith in the midst of great trouble and difficulty, this wasn’t spoken after the event when the storm had stopped blowing, it was said in the middle of the turmoil of life.

The sin of our nation is great and the prophetic voice of the church needs to be heard speaking again and calling people back to the ways of the Lord, the cross needs to be evident in our lives as we speak of Sacrifice that atones for sin and makes it possible for our nation to return to God. So, will you lament with me, will you pray with me, will you cry out to God? The only One who can heal our nation, will you live in the tension of a broken world and a victorious faith, will you be like Jesus who wept over his city, will you weep with real compassion over the cities of our nation until we are restored again.

If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 TNIV)

Amen, Let it be.

Every Blessing

Pastor Nick