September 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

Lamentations 3:22-41

²²It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
²⁴The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
²⁵The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
²⁶It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
²⁷It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
²⁸He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
²⁹He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
³⁰He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
³¹For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
³²But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
³³For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
³⁴To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.
³⁵To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
³⁶To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.
³⁷Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
³⁸Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
³⁹Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
⁴⁰Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
⁴¹Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Devotional:

'It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth' says Jeremiah in verse 27. This yoke, as we may judge from the context, probably referred directly to subjection to a foreign power. What a statement! Captivity good? That is what God says. As we study this portion we see that the yoke, the reproach, the grief, the suffering that we are caused to bear are means of driving us to our God who all along has been faithful and is not allowing us to endure this without purpose. His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness (3:22,23)!

What does this verse say to parents today? We need to recognize that our children do have yokes to bear in their youth. So far we have not had to endure subjection to foreign powers, but children do have physical problems, social stigma, homework, rules and regulations imposed upon them, and disappointments. These can be heavy burdens. They are limitations of freedom that parallel in the experience of the child the captivity of Israel!

Are these good for the child? How? They teach him the pattern of life with its vicissitudes. They teach him that the world does not revolve around him and that there will not always be smiles of approval to greet his cute speeches or pillows spread out to cushion his falls. They give the child a realistic view of himself and the sinful world about him.

Sometimes we as parents attempt to remove completely normal types of hardship from our children's ways. We are loath to see them have to wait or have to do without things they want. We feel sorry when things do not always go their way. We should capitalize on these experiences! We should say, 'Thank You, Lord, for enabling this child to grow. Thank You for providing him with this beautiful evidence of your faithfulness in adversity!'

It is difficult to see our children bear yokes, but let us not always be trying to protect them! Let us use the opportunity to point them to Jesus whose yoke is easy!