Lamentations 2:11-12

New Living Translation (NLT)

I have cried until the tears no longer come;
    my heart is broken.
My spirit is poured out in agony
    as I see the desperate plight of my people.
Little children and tiny babies
    are fainting and dying in the streets.

 They cry out to their mothers,
    “We need food and drink!”
Their lives ebb away in the streets
    like the life of a warrior wounded in battle.
They gasp for life
    as they collapse in their mothers’ arms.

For Meditation

Pictures of the devastation of war abound around the world. They depict nothing but broken lives and misery. Women, children, and old people are the most vulnerable, and the outcry after the rain of bombs and machine gun fire has always been heartbreaking.

Just look back recently to the wars in Ukraine, Sudan, and the Middle East. Television reports have horrible images that break hearts. What causes all these wars, and when are they going to end? After all the commentaries and rush to do something, why do we see escalations instead of peaceful settlements?

It may sound simplistic to the social, political, and economic mind to postulate that the condition of the human heart is the primary cause of this world’s misery and suggest a biblical response for its cure. The prophet Jeremiah made this bold determination in Jeremiah 17:9.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

That’s it—the crux of the whole matter!

Everything that comes out of the human heart is deceitful and wicked, unless it has received the saving grace of Jesus. It started after the catastrophic fall in Eden and continues to this day. Through the ages, man has rejected the rule of God and chosen his way. Wickedness has increased, and as a result, wars and all kinds of diseases continue to devastate nations.

Israel’s history has reflected this phenomenon: a continuous cycle of sin, judgment, repentance, deliverance, and falling back into sin, especially during the time of the judges. God wiped out the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians. He continued to warn Judah through the prophets, but they enjoyed their rebellion. Finally, God brought the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and burn down the magnificent temple of Solomon.

The prophet Jeremiah was one of those who warned Judah and wept over the nation in the final years before the Babylonian invasion. However, they had become too obstinate to turn back. The Book of Lamentations chronicles his lament, looking at the devastation of Jerusalem because of their disobedience and rejection of God and asking for His mercy. The prophet describes a scene we can all relate to because of live television and social media:

Little children and tiny babies

    are fainting and dying in the streets.

They cry out to their mothers,

    “We need food and drink!”

Their lives ebb away in the streets

    like the life of a warrior wounded in battle.

They gasp for life

    as they collapse in their mothers’ arms (Lamentation 2:11-12).

That is what the rejection of God did to the Israelites. Why didn’t they heed his warning and abandon their ways?

It is the same today. The world has rejected God and has chosen its devious ways. Wars are everywhere, so God has issued a powerful indictment of humanity and is signaling impending danger. His wrath is going to fall over this rebellious world (Romans 1:18-32).

The writer of Hebrews says,

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31).

The good news is that there is a way of escape for all who believe in Jesus Christ, turn away from the world, and give their life to Him for salvation. Jesus is the only answer to the chaos of this world.

He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and Lord of lords. Real peace is reconciliation with God, which comes only through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:1; John 14:27; 16:33). It is a personal situation of the heart that settles the mind in Christ amid chaos (Philippians 4:6-7). That is what everybody needs in this convulsed world. Why have you taken that fast and steady stand against Him, when He is the only person who can give you peace in the storms of life?

Pray With Me

We need your peace in this chaotic world, Lord. We acknowledge that only you can make wars cease in this world. So, Spirit of God, start with our hearts and make peace with the Father in Christ. We surrender to you, Jesus. Come into our lives and nations and take control. Amen.