Wanda's Wacky Wonderful World

Lamentations 3:21-23 has always been in my Top Ten Favorite scripture passages.  When I read this chapter yesterday in my Daily reading... I heard Jeremiah speaking to me directly! For the first time, I realized just how amazing these three verses are, when you understand the full setting of the entire passage.  Jeremiah laments for 20 verses about his present situation. He is experiencing horrid affliction; he is in a very dark place at this point in his life spiritually and physically.  He believes that God's hand has turned against him; he has multiple broken bones; he's been walled in by bitterness, pain and sorrow as well as literal stone walls; he feels like everyone has ganged up on him - including God; he's bound with heavy chains and shackles; God has obviously shut out his cries and prayers - literally locked him up and thrown away the key; he feels like he's been tracked down and attacked- by God! Like a bear or a lion - he's been mauled and rip...

Proverbs 10: 2  Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. "Hi Mrs. Chavis", the lady sitting in the foyer of the restaurant said kindly. I greeted her and looked closely - trying to figure out who she was. She looked vaguely familiar, but my mind was drawing a blank. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and in need of washing. She looked to be in her 70's and was obviously not in good health. And was that alcohol I smelled on her? I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and stepped closer... "I'm trying to remember where I know you from, sweetie". When she spoke her name to me, I tried not to show my surprise. Could this be true? This was not an elderly woman! She was younger than me! My mind was flooded with the memories of her story... Living in a small town, you hear things about people... Her husband was one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in our town. He owned several properties and when he divorced his wife...

Happy New Year! Lamentations 3:21-23 has always been a favorite passage of mine- " This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope . It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."   And I am sure I've read that passage in context as I have read through the Bible many times.  Today I read it in "The Message" translation. Now, let me preface this by saying that I LOVE the King James Version - it is my #1 baseline translation of the Bible. However I do like to read parallel translations just to get a better grip on the meaning of a particular passage as I study.  I also consulted Matthew Henry's commentary and found this note: " Some think Jeremiah makes these complaints, not only as an intercessor for Israel, but as a type of Christ, who was thought by some to be Jeremiah the weeping prophet, because ...