Reflecting on life, we sometimes find ourselves in difficult predicaments where we weigh our rights and wrongs, asking where we missed it.
Referencing part one of this story, the proud queen—who has now become as lonely as a widow—reflects on her path and accepts that God’s punishment burns like fire in her bones. She feels forgotten by God, crushed by the overwhelming weight of her suffering and acknowledges that her inability to overcome the enemy stems from her sins that are being bound tightly to her (Lamentations 1:14). She continues her wailing, showing that sin blinds us from seeing God and ultimately gives the enemy the upper hand.
In addition, she laments the consequences of her sins and how they have extended to her army, causing their defeat, crushing them like grapes, and leaving them entirely hopeless with no one to comfort or help them.
REFLECTION: When life seems this bleak, the best response is total submission to God. Often, it is not until we reach the end of our wits that we truly learn how to surrender everything to Him in genuine repentance.
You see, ‘Man’ fighting against us is nothing compared to when God is against us—at that point, nothing seems to work.
I pray we will never reach that point, in Jesus’ name. If we have strayed in one way or another, may we come to acknowledge our sins and experience full repentance before God, in Jesus’ name.
Like Jerusalem, the lonely widow accepts responsibility for her actions reflecting on how she allowed compromise and ungodliness enter her sacred spaces. This defiled her place of consecration with God allowing the enemy plunder her fruits (That is her children, resources, riches, vibrant health, the fruits and gifts of the Spirit, her glory, marriage, business, ministry, fellowship with God etc).
Sin inherently distances us from God, bringing filth into our lives and surroundings. This is the painful reality of many people’s life experiences today.
Yet, when our choices leave us feeling empty, abandoned, and broken in the dark, a beautiful truth remains hidden within these heavy verses: we are never too far gone to call out to the Father. Our grief is not the end of our story; it is the exact place where God’s mercy meets our brokenness.
Whatever loss or shame we are carrying today, do not let it drive you into isolation. Instead, let us turn to the only One who can look past our filthiness, comfort our souls, and rebuild our lives from the ashes.
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
WHERE IS YOUR GRIEF LEADING YOU TO? Part 1
Reading through Lamentations Chapter 1, we encounter a harrowing catalog of betrayal, loss, devastation, empty roads, starvation, loneliness, multitude of sin, rebellion against God and it’s consequences, desecrated sanctuary just to mention a few. The text highlights a multitude of sins and the severe consequences of rebellion against God, including the desecration of His sanctuary. These factors directly culminated in the profound grief of God’s children.
Grief by definition is a deep natural emotion and physical response to a major loss. It can also follow other life-changing losses like the end of a relationship, a job loss, or a health change.
This universal struggle is mirrored in the life of Job, whose grief was marked by betrayal, loss, loneliness and mockery, yet, he knew to turn to God for safety despite the pain. Similarly, our Lord Jesus also experienced betrayal from those who were closest to him and he grieved dearly when he momentarily lost communication with God the Father on the cross. Ultimately, these examples prove that everyone will encounter, or has already experienced, grief in this life one way or the other.
In Chapter 1 of the book of Lamentations, the city of Jerusalem is personified as a once proud queen who has become lonely like as a widow and forced into hard labor like a slave because of her sins. With her repeated rebellion against God,her lovers and some close associates abandoned her leaving her to the cold hands of her enemies. All her glory disappeared, there by leaving her children hungry and begging for what to eat. This starvation causes her to remember all the riches she once had and how they all don’t belong to her any longer. Her continuous rebellion to God exposes her to nakedness and public shame as honor is stripped away from her leaving her crying in pain and in complete filthiness with no help from any one.
Finally, in her brokenness, she reaches out to God. Explaining to him that all her virtues, glory and blessings have been used anyhow by strangers (the people God once warned her to stay away from). She acknowledges that this hardship has devastated her children and laments both the harshness of her punishment and the complete indifference of the onlookers watching God’s judgment unfold upon her.
Just as Jerusalem eventually lifted her voice to God in her deepest filthiness, our moments of profound loss are invitations to run toward divine mercy rather than away from it. True restoration begins not when the pain ends, but when we choose to anchor our grief in the unchanging character of God.
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS
Our next book of study is Lamentations. To define a Lament is to feel or express deep sorrow, grief, or regret. It can be considered as both a verb and as a noun. But in this context, it is a noun, which refers to an expression of grief, or a mournful song, poem, or piece of music written to honor someone who has died.
The book was written by Prophet Jeremiah to reflect the turning point experienced by the Israelites – where Judah and Jerusalem were both conquered by the Babylonians. And the temple of God was destroyed with the peoples hopes dashed, indicating Sin and Rebellion as the reason for this fall.
The book of Lamentations is for people grasping for the right words to express the deep longings of suffering and pain from their hearts to God. In comparison with the Jews in the old age, grief was performed through rituals and symbols with the use of poetry while in this modern age, we tend to analyze grief through Introspection/Self- examination and Therapy/Counseling.
Today, the book voices the fear and frustration we all face when confronted with loss and grief, despair and suffering thereby articulating the groanings of the heart when we are left speechless. It reminds us and offers us a means through which God’s people could mourn their loss, remember the cause of their suffering (either for the sake of Christ or through Sin), articulate their grief and petition God for grace, mercy, healing and help.
In conclusion, as we venture into the chapters, let us put our trust and confidence in God’s mercy in all our trials – exercising repentance, faith, and prayer with the hope of a promised deliverance, knowing it will be well at the end of it all. For those that trust in, love, fear, and serve the Lord ,will never be put to shame (Romans 10 vs 11 and Isaiah 49 vs 23).
PRAYER
May we find the words to express our own suffering/grief and pain and rest in the revelation truth that God is listening to us and He is ready to answer them in Jesus name 🙏
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
OBEDIENCE IN TRIALS
As we study the last chapter in the book of Exodus today ,we see that when we continually attend to the instructions or commandments of the Lord as a rule of working, all our efforts will prosper. Have you ever thought about it, that the Israelites didn’t wait until they got to the promise land before building the Tabernacle? Even in the wilderness—surrounded by life’s harshest challenges—they still obeyed God immediately.
We should never allow adversity reduce our fellowship with God, that is, Our challenges are not to deter us from Fellowshipping with God but to strengthen our trust in Him.
The obvious visibility of the cloud in Exo 40 vs 34 during the day and night also gave the Israelites the assurance that God was in deed with them.
In relation to today’s dispensation, how do we experience that same assurance that God is with us in both our trials and seasons of peace?
Through Jesus Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit to serve as God’s enduring presence and representative. The Holy Spirit leaves within us, teaches us to follow the examples of Christ, to be dependent on him and obedient to him and the Word of God – which promises us that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us – paraphrased (Deut 31 vs 8). For God’s Word is ever sure, it never fails.
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
STRENGTH AND BEAUTY
and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; (Exodus 39:11 ESV)
Just as the high priest had the breastplate fixed with the 12 precious stones, so are we as believers, set as living gems stones fixed in the heart of our High Priest – Jesus Christ . Who symbolically brings our names, supplications, needs and burdens before the Father.
Gems are forged under immense pressure, embodying absolute resilience, hence signifying immovable strength. Just as Revelation 21:11 also describes the eternal, unshakeable strength of the New Jerusalem, these stories reminds us of the divine resilient nature God deposit in you and I.
Furthermore, these gems also signifies beauty as promised in Zechariah 9 vs 16 and Isaiah 54 vs 11-12 indicating the beauty bestowed on every believer. As God doesn’t see us as ordinary clay but as crown jewels glittering before Him. He has meticulously refined us, bestowing His own splendor upon every believer.
The believer therefore possesses a dual inheritance: the unshakeable strength to endure any earthly trial, and the celestial beauty that reflects Christ’s own glory.
No matter what we are facing this week, we rest in the quiet confidence that our name is forever engraved upon His heart.
Prayer: Father, we ask that you give us beauty to reflect your glory and strengthen us to endure any earthly trial in Jesus name 🙏.
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
HOW FAR CAN WE GO?
[8] He made the bronze basin and its stand from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Exodus 38:8 HCSB
The women who served at the entrance of the tent gave up their bronze mirrors “their most prized possessions” – (A mirror representing a luxury item and self-image/personal value in ancient times) for the tabernacle worship, indicating their devotion, zeal and honor for God (Prov 3 vs 9). In today’s world, can we or are we ready to jettison our most prized possessions for God and His Kingdom?
Honoring God with our substance is a call to recognizing Him as our source. When it comes to giving, we can never out give God, because His generosity always surpasses anything we can offer. As believers, our rewards are intimately tied to our daily surrender—including our prayer life, intentional service to God, and standard of obedience just to mention a few.
Having Jesus at the core of our life makes these spiritual disciplines completely transforming . He turns what could be an empty religious routine into a vibrant, loving relationship with God the Father.
Reflection Questions:
- What are we holding back from God today?
- How far are we truly willing to go for the sake of His Kingdom?
-Are we ready to stretch/expand our capacity to give, serve, and love?
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
GOD AMONGST US – 3
Exodus 37 indicates that the tabernacle wasn’t empty but had the emblems of worship. As modern believers of Christ or as Living Tabernacles, we are to embody the spiritual realities that these physical emblems represents such as:
Having full knowledge of the Word of God inside us, which means constantly studying the word of God -this strengthens and protects us at all times even in the time of adversity.
Having a lifestyle of Prayer, Prayer, is a means of communication between God and man. For our Father in heaven loves to communicate with us, hence, we also ought to rightly position ourselves at all times to communicate with Him.
Having the in-filling and influence of the Holy Spirit – who is to enlighten and fill us afresh daily with God’s wisdom and teachings and anchor us in the inheritance for the saints.
Lastly,to ultimately acknowledge the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that took away our sins on the cross of calvary and partake of His flesh which is symbolized through the holy communion.
Ultimately, the design of the Tabernacle reminds us that God never wanted a relationship with us that was empty or just for show. We as His temple now, are as good as what’s kept inside it. It’s up to us to do the daily work, which doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes a conscious daily choice to get into the Word and to lean completely on the Holy Spirit. When we actively choose to live this way, and keep what Jesus did on the cross at the center of it all, our lives become exactly what God intended—a living space where His presence can truly settle.
THE SALVATION PRAYER
The starting point to having God dwell in you if you are not a believer,, (that is, If you’ve never accepted Jesus into your life) is to say this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, your word says whoever calls on the name of the Lord and confesses Jesus as his Lord and believes in his heart that He was raised from the dead will be saved. (Roms 10 vs 9-13). I call on your name Jesus and I confess you as my Lord I believe that you were raised from the dead to pay for my sins and I thank you for doing that for me. Now I know I’m saved in Jesus name amen)
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal
GOD AMONGST US – 2
[5] ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; (Exodus 35:5 NKJV) and
[4] Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, [5] and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.” (Exodus 36:4-5 NKJV)
As God’s children, giving our bodies or yielding ourselves as a Tabernacle for Him to dwell,(1 Corinthians 6 vs 19-20 – paraphrased) can be likened to the old testament era, where God’s children gave their best in order for Him to dwell in and met with them in the tabernacle.
Willingly yielding our bodies for God to dwell, requires an intentional, wholehearted surrender of our physical selves and possessions to His purposes. Indicating that we honor our bodies (as a living tabernacle – i.e as a living person) as a holy place for God to dwell.
Beyond our physical selves, true devotion also means opening our hands and offering our treasures—our gold, silver, and finest things—for His kingdom work. It means going all out for God without holding anything back.What a profound privilege it is to answer God’s call and honor Him through every tangible resource and intangible gift we possess.
Another call to honor was the zeal and precision of the builders in the execution of the tent as well as their objection to receiving more contributions. These are worthy of our imitation, indicating their love and service to God.
In retrospect, how far have we truly gone for God—and how far are we willing to go and give up for Him?
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal