Scripture Snippets - Lamentations 1

Scripture Snippets - Lamentations 1

In this first Scripture Snippet I will be contemplating the first Chapter of Lamentations.  To read the Chapter click here.  Below is a synopsis according to LDS.org.

Jeremiah laments the miserable condition of Jerusalem - Jerusalem herself complains of her deep sorrow.

My thoughts and feelings:

• Jeremiah describes utter loneliness.  What once was great (Jerusalem) is no more.  Jeremiah has no one to count on, no one to trust.  He is a lone voice crying out in the midst of sin.
• Jeremiah shows such sympathy for the people of Jerusalem even though he tried to warn them and they disregarded his warnings and treated him harshly. 
• Such sadness and devastation are described in the passages; "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!" Verse 1a. 
• Such utter pain and sorrow; "mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water..." Verse 16.

What we can learn from this passage:

• Recognize the sorrow and tribulation of others and be grateful for what you have.
• Heavenly Father did not cause all of these bad things to happen, he allowed Jerusalem to suffer the consequences of her own sins.  Heavenly Father does not cause bad things to happen in our lives but he does allow us to suffer the consequences of our choices.  Just as a good parent will allow a child to suffer the consequences of their mistakes so that they learn from the small mistakes and don't make the big ones.
• I am grateful that Heavenly Father is a loving and caring Father who allowed us to have agency and does not protect us from the consequences of our mistakes.  

The Moon

Have you ever given the moon much thought?  What is it doing up there, circling around the earth?  What is its purpose?  Many people would say that it is just a rock caught in the earth's atmosphere, circling the earth and reflecting light from the sun .  To me the moon is far more than that.  It is a testament to Heavenly Father.  The moon, along with the stars, are a reminder that Heavenly Father's reach is far beyond this planet.  It is a reminder that every thing from the farthest star to the smallest insect has a purpose and is part of God's plan.  With a word he created the Heaven's and the Earth through Jesus Christ. 

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."
- Genesis 1:14-16