For my 51st birthday this winter I was given an illusion that allows me to pour a glass of Perrier, and, while the water is still flowing from the bottle, let go of the glass as it stays suspended beneath the bottle. This sent me searching my concordance for a passage about ‘pouring out one’s heart’ to the Lord. I found what I was looking for in Lamentations 2:19. : “Pour out your hearts to the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children…”
I know the risks in choosing an effect first, then trying to force the Scripture to somehow fit. In fact, our 20 year old daughter – a missionary student – reminded me of this recently when she admitted, as she prepared a sermon, to having decided on the illustration before choosing the text. Experience has proven, though, that whether I start with an effect then find the passage for it, or the passage and build a routine to teach it, it’s just as likely to be successful either way. Creative struggles aside, this effect has worked well, and this passage has been a good jumping off point to build from.
First of all, notice the two verbs in this verse: pouring out ones heart, and raising one’s hands (a symbol of worship in both Old and New Testaments and still today in many churches). This was written during one of the worst times in the history of Israel, and Jeremiah was challenging the people to not only pour their grief out to God, but to continue to worship God even thought things were not good at all. God is bigger than the circumstances before us.
Then notice why – or for whom – we are to do this, “For the lives of your children.” With Newtown still fresh in our minds, this passage, and the book of Lamentations as a whole, seems as relevant as ever. Verse 19, and the book as a whole, is about broken-hearted faith. Like Peter, when asked, “Are you leaving me too,” by Jesus, Jeremiah seems to take a “Who else would I follow” attitude. In the last few verses of the five chapter book, he says, “You, O Lord reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us?” This conflict of what we know to be true about the Lord and what appears to be true is where the rubber meets the road for a believer. We must remember that we have a Messiah who welcomes our tears when we pour them out before Him, and is also forever worthy of our worship. “Great is his faithfulness.”