None but the Lonely Heart, Part 3

As we watch the civil uprising in urban centers around the world. And as we witness anarchy take over the public square and see rebels deface statutes and bring them to the ground.

We grieve and lament our losses today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that Jeremiah the prophet, once lamented to you was grieved over the rebellion of his people and their subsequent exile to Babylon. The lessons in Jeremiah's book of Lamentations are strikingly relevant for our times. Chuck titled today's message. None but the lonely heart. Love Lord is near there and he would often be in the city and while the city he took the opportunity to warn the people like this will not always have the festivals like you now enjoy your continuing these idolatrous ways.

You will note judgment from God is coming here that gagged him everywhere.

They could they could, but it never silences message tradition has it that the prophet set and wept in the cave on the western side of the city. Remember the people related to exile, toward the east toward Babylon.

He said far away from that as it could bear the sight of watching so many strong capable men and women pushed out of the city treated like cattle their children beside them disillusioned hollowed eyes as they're making their way toward what landed never been to the spoken language. They didn't know, representing a culture that was foreign to them all because they refuse to hear and heed Jeremiah's warnings Jerusalem wants full of people is now deserted.

Once the queen of all the earth, but now sleep, and the consequences are just one page after another after another is the Lamentations of a broken hearted man who must've said to himself every night. It need not.

He says it verse five.

Her oppressors and become her Masters. Her enemies prosper for the Lord.

There is Yahweh personal name for the living God for the Lord has punished Jerusalem. Make no mistake, is the judgment of God. Verse 12 does it mean nothing to you all, you pass by, look around and see if there is any suffering like mine says the city, which the Lord brought on me when he erupted in fierce anger. Verse 14 he will my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity eloquent way to put it.

The Lord set my strength and turned me over to my enemies. 15 the Lord has treated my mighty man with contempt, the Lord, the Lord, the Lord, the Lord all the way through May I remind all of us, our God is a jealous God is a holy God. He doesn't share his glory with any other fees not one among many gods. He is the one and only God.

This is not one among many references to his mind and his word. This is the reference. This is the document. This is the direction to follow printed in our language so that we can read it regularly right here in all the way through.

He tells us the truth. He alone is the Lord's replacer for just a moment and go back and look at Jeremiah chapter 2 Jeremiah 2 we go back to when he was a younger man back.

It was just getting started in this worker preaching and prophesying, so he's not gotten the message from the Lord. Verse one.

The Lord gave me another message so it's the Lord's message.

Let me cut to the chase verse 12, the heavens were shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror, and dismay, he's telling the people, says the Lord.

He's giving the Lord's message for my people have done to evil thing is pretty clear any child can counter to and understand this one one to have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and to they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all.

All of this in picturesque language as poets right and prophets prophesy, they have passed up the water of life that I free to give valid and in infinite and in mercy and filled with grace and love and mercy ready to for you to relish in the living water and you turn your back on and you chose to dig your own cisterns and their product don't even hold water.

If I were to take my time to go further, he would talk about the city has died. It's lost its dynamic, its purpose is calling erosion has taken hold and it's drifted from its purpose when it was a great city under David when his boundaries were expanding and the people listened to the one who led them into the truth of God.

They followed no longer not now these are consequences that come as a result of doing what is wrong is hard to hear. This is not easy to preach. I much prefer messages on grace, but does have a message mercy that's half a message. This is serious stuff going on, so it was said by way of application is our wrap up our thoughts are not going to do it quickly.

I'm going to do it carefully to things I want to say our times need to grip us emotionally to make us cry. I need to make us cry rather than resisting them or finding float with something looking for someone to blame or finding the individual that we don't agree with them landing on that person cry.

But such a times covers this cry over the biblical ignorance and resistance you find at every turn in every public forum.

The Bible is resented and resisted Trotter bring a verse of Scripture to bear in whatever gathering you're in. That isn't a Christian gather everything tossed out or at best ignored the political corruption and anger never seen it worse. In my years on this earth never ever seen. Politicians treat each other in such an ugly discourteous manner, literally hating one another, despising others that are involved in the leadership heartbreaking the racial prejudice in the injustice as justice rolls down.

You might not like all of it. I'm not concerned about what you like or don't like is there isn't going away, raised with it is time we come to terms with it and we begin by crying about it crying that our parents didn't stop it in our lives. But in subject is even encouraged it. How wrong is that the social violence and the destruction wrong is that the destruction of cities wrong the personal disrespect of law and order have to address that makes me want the one agency designed to help us keep law and order is now up for grip heart goes out to suffer bad. That's right, some bad ministers and he reflects on the ministry is so good reflects on me and resented, but some take advantage of congregations there for themselves they don't freeze the truth their self-serving present that I resist that there are few compared to those that are standing strong and standing firm makes me want to cry. But there's more than just crying the other response. We need to wake up. We need to stand up. We need to speak up. Don't be afraid of that will be afraid you call those people heroes who spoke up yesteryear you call Wilberforce a hero for standing against slavery. When he started in England, whatever. Maybe your opportunity take advantage of it. Like the sons of Issachar who understood their times and they knew what Israel should do but did it. God bless them for it. When we put it this way. Maybe you don't have a platform, maybe you don't have what you would call the gifts for this but maybe maybe you don't have the strength for it, whatever that may mean you might feel much that your reason for not stepping up and and's standing up and speaking up that support those of us who do support this ministry with sacrificial giving support ministries that are doing that faithful declaration of the truth with your gifts. You can't be the one that goes support those that do stand with us, pray for us, pray for us.

Miss a meal and fast as you pray for us it's a lonely journey.

It made me sick last night as I thought about it and it reminds me that we have a voice in the course is to be heard because there are some who are helpless. They can't speak for themselves, and I will tell you when we do, God will honor it back. He will come to our rescue. You will I'm convinced he will bring good out of all of this, I'm convinced that God is imminent and that God will bring a wonderful change in some way.

Don't know when. Don't know how true, whom I don't know. All I would love to make a prediction. Every prediction I make falls flat. So I'm not going to run their but I will tell you this in the last days disparate times have come not will come, but have come savage times were living in living in them and nothing else. It should awaken us to pray like we've never prayed in our lives God to step in doing work change our hearts in the process change others the close of the beautiful encouraging note.

Strange thing happened in in the life of Peter Tchaikovsky found in the little work studying years ago, the more he engaged in his writing. The more driven he was his compositions. The more he withdrew from the public, the more depressed he got like everyone who gets depressed.

They withdraw and the more he withdrew, the more the public withdrew from him and ultimately he began to really suffer financially in any realize he will be able to continue.

If this keeps on in 1876 when he was only 36 years old, a very unusual event happened to Tchaikovsky. He was contacted by a and an anonymous admirer who was wealthy. This individual made it clear that the money would be there when you needed it, but there was one requirement, they must never meet face-to-face software-based 36 till he died at age 53, never solving individual, but the money came money was provided.

He was able to go on many of his writings came many of his compositions came as a result of that person support. He had no idea who it was till the day of his death could not arrive.

The individual showed up and they met face-to-face first time. Only time she had been a wealthy widow. She took such a delight in his work that she decided that's where her money would go and she assured him at the time of his death, it was well worth every bit that she had invested in him.

The analogy someday will meet our Savior face-to-face. You've never seen them never seen, but he continues to meet our needs in marvelous ways.

Ways that we would run out of time before we run out of ways to express it all through our years, God has stepped in the Lord God is faithfully met our needs met our need. Someday when we are on our deathbeds. We will hear that. Well done good and faithful servant and we will ultimately see him face-to-face, and there will be the beginning of forever and we will join hearts in eternity. I would love to think that we we do so, remembering days like this. Times like this. We didn't waste we saw through the and we realize that this is exactly what God predicted would occur. Read it for yourself.

First Timothy four second Timothy three clear as it can be in the last days, savage times, for we are to stand alongside one another during times like this. Send alongside those who have been mistreated, who broken confused yes angry, trying to figure out life.

Let's be what the wealthy widow was to to this Tchaikovsky so that individual can go on knowing were there standing alongside. I like you to bow your head please.

And just for a few moments. Search your heart. I really mean it when I say that we are to pray and we are to set aside time even for meals really commit our times to the Lord asking him what we should be doing, how we should be responding rather than just reacting or pointing fingers are finding fault with what somebody's doing. We don't agree with. Enough of that. That helps no one. This is a great time for you to determine from this day a lot. I'm going to be involved in ABCD spell it out and maybe teaching your children so that they don't make the mistakes you and I have made it may mean taking a turn in the kind of Bible study you been involved in so that you together make a difference in the community may be involved in helping those who can't help themselves.

Whatever may God give you the courage to step up walk strong the speaker who got our times are in your hands and and and we fully acknowledge it sometime. These days, frighten us first. We think we have no idea where it's going and then we realize. It's obvious that it's it's rapidly moving in another direction we wanted to be moving in your direction. We want you to lead. We would usually use our church and us individually. We want you to make us uncomfortable with the status quo in break-in changes begin a process of reforming and reframing us so that we see ourselves as engaged in the needs of our times, not simply observing them or finding fault in by your grace, protect us during these days that are so volatile and frightening watch over our our president and his cabinet, those who lead was over, those who are among the police. Those who help us at all. In order to care of us, Lord, we are your children and we need you and we trust blesses people who have just patiently listened me. They now begin the process of responding for your glory, bowing before your cross in the name of Christ. I pray we all say amen you're listening to a time sensitive message from Chuck Swindoll arising from a study in the ancient book of Lamentations. Chuck calls this Old Testament book Jeremiah's Journal of woes to learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online@insightworld.org well insight for living is blessed to have access to a deep well of several thousand sermons. Some of them dating back to the 1970s when this radio program first came on the air. Our current study, however, was delivered only a few weeks ago and it's refreshing to hear Chuck's insight on the current cultural battles taking place in our world and to see the sobering parallels between Israel's rebellion in our own we living in harsh times when kindness is rare when people are polarized by politics and emotions are spinning out of control in times like these. God is calling us to a higher place. If you're ready to rise above the heaviness and yet appreciate a touch of levity in your day. Let me recommend a classic book from Chuck called laugh again.

It squarely founded on the New Testament book of joy the first century to now the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians has taught people how to smile even when life is hard, you can purchase a copy of laugh again right now by going to insight.org or by calling us listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888. In closing, let me say a word of thanks to our monthly companions and all those who give generously to insight for living ministries you're accomplishing far more than you'll ever know because your gift allows us to deliver the truth of God's word to millions around the world. Thanks so much to give a donation today follows your listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 that's 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.or it's almost impossible pervasive news these days is everywhere and most of us are craving a break from the TV and a reprise from the images of rage disease, civil unrest in this volatile season insight for living ministries is continued to serve as a safe harbor where good news is celebrating many tell us that the Bible teaching from Chuck Swindoll provides a refreshing getaway chaos and confusion of our times with these daily visits with Chuck are made possible in part by monthly companions inviting you to join this influential team monthly supporters signed up today by calling us your listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 in this hospital first world people are craving, just one gentle God's goodness, we respond are simple act of generosity will be friends that is sweet for someone decided return become a regular monthly calling listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online insight.or month. Chuck Swindoll continues our study of Jeremiah's Journal of woes tomorrow insight for living. The preceding message.

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