Read: Lamentations 3:55-66
I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. (v. 55)
During the Second World War, Dutch citizen Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested for sheltering Jewish refugees. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were interned at the Ravensbruck prison camp, where they endured grueling conditions. Before her death, Betsie urged Corrie to share the story of their sustaining Christian faith, saying, “We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that [God] is not deeper still.”
At the end of Lamentations 3, Jeremiah utters a surprising prayer from a very deep pit. Despite the fact that he and his fellow Israelites had been carried into captivity, Jeremiah declared that God had heard his plea (v. 56), come near to him (v. 57), taken up his cause (v. 58), and redeemed his life (v. 58). This is clearly a prayer of faith, as Jeremiah’s external circumstances continue to be dire. How could Jeremiah be certain that God heard his prayers and had already redeemed him? Simply this: Jeremiah took God at his word.
God identified himself as the God who comes to all who seek him wholeheartedly (Jer. 29:13). Jesus told his disciples that his Father would answer any prayer uttered in his name. From start to finish, the Bible reveals a God whose ultimate intent is to restore creation and redeem the human race. No matter how deep the pit, God’s love is deeper still. No matter the depth and nature of your troubles, God has an answer. Call on him: he hears you and cares for you.
As you pray, trust that God hears your cares because he cares for you.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is the Minister of Worship and Leadership at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
