Lamentations 3:22-36 – For Your Own Good

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Do you feel God’s rebuke of your disobedience is unjust?

Today’s devotional reading: Lamentations 3:22-36

Let us never think that God takes our confession of faith lightly. In Ecclesiastes 5:1-6, Solomon spoke about the seriousness of one’s confession of faith. When you confess to believe in Christ and commit yourself to walk in His ways, you have taken up a vow of faith. God expects you to be faithful to Him as He is faithful to you.

To be honest with you, we can never meet God’s level of faithfulness because we are fallible beings whereas the Lord is infallible. Yet, just because we are fallible, that does not mean we shouldn’t put forth the effort of faith. What this means is that when you do stumble in obedience, you acknowledge and correct your stumbling. The last thing one should do is commit themselves to dwelling in the fall.

Solomon strayed in his walk of faith and actually devoted himself to living apart from God. Along the way, Solomon disregarded God’s rebuke until he finally did turn back to the Lord near the end of his life. When he looked back on his life, he warned others not to do as he had done, disregarding God and wasting his time with sinful living.

God will rebuke and even chasten you so that you will continue to walk faithfully; don’t turn from His rebuke. The chastening of the Lord is not joyful, but He chasten you because He cares (Heb. 12:7-11). God rebukes and chastens us because He takes seriously our confession and vow of faith. The Lord wants to be with you for everlasting life, and so while our sin draws God’s rebuke, it is better to be rebuked by God than to be condemned for everlasting life.