As Jeremiah lamented the rebellion of Judah, and the chastisement of his God, he nevertheless acknowledged God’s judgement was righteous and that His nature was merciful and good. And so he wrote, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:25-27).
There are a couple of truths in this passage that are worthy of examination. Taking the last words first, we should acknowledge that it “is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.” While burdens, chastisements and distress are never easy, they do build character. The prophet knew that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and God’s judgment of the people was, though harsh, very much deserved. To live through this would help the young know of the consequences of rebellion, and cause a turn to righteousness and steadfastness as the lesson was learned.
The second truth is that God does His own will in His own time. It is not appropriate for us to complain about these things. Job did , and even to the degree of his suffering, the answer of God was basically, “How dare you?” So, when things are going bad with us, little or big, and we chafe at trouble, let us not murmur and complain. Instead, let us “wait quietly for the LORD.” He is the preeminent Creator. As His people, let us not be presumptuous!
