From Ruin to Renewal: Jeremiah's Path to Hope

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Imagine walking through the once thriving streets of Jerusalem.

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www.inthefieldaudiobible.com.

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The air is heavy, thick, with the acrid scent of smoke and dust clinging to your clothes like a reminder of all that has been lost.

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The streets once alive with laughter and the rhythmic hum of daily life now lay in ruin.

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Stones are cracked and scattered, market stalls are overturned and their wares trampled into the dirt.

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Where children once played and merchants haggled, now only the whispers of the wind remain, carrying with it the echoes of what used to be.

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Through this desolation moves, a solitary figure, his robes tattered, his face lined with sorrow.

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This is Jeremiah, a man who has seen the unimaginable, who has felt the weight of a broken people pressed upon his shoulders.

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Each step he takes stirs up a cloud of ash, a poignant reminder of the city that once stood tall and proud.

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His eyes, deep and weary, scan the remnants of what he once called home, and his heart is heavy with the knowledge that this devastation was not sudden, but a slow unraveling of a covenant.

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Broken Lamentations.

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Lamentations 3 offers us an intimate look into Jeremiah's soul.

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His words are raw, brimming with anguish.

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As he grapples with the silence of God, he sees himself as a man led into darkness, surrounded by walls that press in on him, cutting off all light.

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The bitterness of exile weighs him down, and yet, in the midst of it all, he searches, searches for the God he once knew so well.

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He wrestles with doubt, with sorrow, with the tension of judgment and mercy.

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But as the night stretches long and cold, a flicker of hope begins to stir within him, like the faint glow of dawn breaking over the horizon.

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Jeremiah remembers.

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He remembers the steadfast love of the Lord and the mercies that are new each morning, and so he clings to this fragile truth, whispering it into the emptiness.

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Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed.

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For you, the listener, this chapter speaks to those moments when the weight of life feels unbearable, when mistakes, hardships and heartache threaten to consume.

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It invites you to sit with Jeremiah in the ruins, to acknowledge the pain, but also to lift your eyes toward the hope that remains, however faint it may seem.

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Now let's take a moment to quiet our hearts and listen to the word itself.

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Let these words sink deep into your spirit, bringing comfort, conviction and encouragement, whether you're sitting in a quiet place or out in the world.

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Allow scripture to meet you right where you are.

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I hope you have your favorite cup of tea or coffee.

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Sit back, relax and let's step into the sacred text of the Lamentations of Jeremiah 3.

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The Lamentations of Jeremiah 3.

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I am a man who has suffered greatly.

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The Lord has used the Babylonians to punish my people.

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He has driven me away.

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He has made me walk in darkness instead of light.

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He has turned his powerful hand against me.

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He has done it again and again, all day long.

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He has worn out my body.

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He has broken my bones.

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He has surrounded me and attacked me.

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He has made me suffer bitterly.

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He has made me and attacked me.

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He has made me suffer bitterly.

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He has made things hard for me.

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He has made me live in darkness like those who are dead and gone.

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He has built walls around me so I can't escape.

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He has put heavy chains on me.

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I call out and cry for help, but he won't listen to me when I pray.

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He has put up a stone wall to block my way.

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He has made my path crooked.

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He has been like a bear waiting to attack me.

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He has been like a lion hiding in the bushes.

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He has dragged me off the path.

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He has torn me to pieces and he has left me helpless.

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He has gotten his bow ready to use.

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He has shot his arrows at me.

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The arrows from his bag have gone through my heart.

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My people laugh at me all the time.

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They sing and make fun of me all day long.

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The Lord has made my life bitter.

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He has made me suffer bitterly.

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He made me chew stones that broke my teeth.

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He has walked all over me in the dust.

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I have lost all hope of ever having any peace.

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I've forgotten what good times are like.

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So I say my glory has faded away.

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My hope in the Lord is gone.

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I remember how I suffered and wondered.

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I remember how bitter my life was.

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I remember it very well.

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My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.

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But here is something else I remember and it gives me hope.

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The Lord loves us so much so we haven't been completely destroyed.

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His loving concern never fails.

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His great love is new every morning.

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Lord, how faithful you are, I say to myself.

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The Lord is everything I will ever need, so I will put my hope in him.

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The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him.

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He is good to those who look to him.

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It is good when people wait quietly for the Lord to save them.

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It is good when people wait quietly for the Lord to save them.

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It is good for a man to carry a heavy load of suffering while he is young.

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Let him sit alone and not say anything.

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The Lord has placed that load on him.

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Let him bury his face in the dust.

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There might still be hope for him.

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Let him turn his cheek toward those who would slap him.

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Let him be filled with shame.

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The Lord doesn't turn his back on people forever.

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He might bring suffering, but he will also show loving concern.

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How great his faithful love is.

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He doesn't want to bring pain or suffering to anyone.

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Every time people crush prisoners under their feet, the Lord knows all about it.

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When people refuse to give someone what they should, the Most High God knows it.

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When people don't treat someone fairly, the Lord knows it.

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Suppose people order something to happen, it won't happen unless the Lord has planned it.

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Troubles and good things alike come to people because the Most High God has commanded them to come.

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A person who is still alive shouldn't blame God when God punishes them for their sins.

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Let's take a good look at the way we're living.

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Let's return to the Lord.

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Let's lift up our hands to God in heaven.

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Let's pray to him with all our hearts.

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Let's say we have sinned, we've refused to obey you, and you haven't forgotten us.

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You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger.

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You have chased us.

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You have killed us without pity.

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You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger.

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Our prayers can us.

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You have killed us without pity.

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You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger.

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Our prayers can't get through to you.

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You have made us become like trash and garbage among the nations.

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All our enemies have opened their mouths wide to swallow us up.

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We are terrified and trapped.

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We are broken and destroyed.

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Streams of tears flow from my eyes.

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That's because my people are destroyed.

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Tears will never stop flowing from my eyes.

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My eyes can't get any rest.

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I will weep until the Lord looks down from heaven.

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I'll cry until he notices my tears.

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What I see brings pain to my spirit.

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All the women of my city are mourning.

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Those who were my enemies, for no reason at all, hunted me down as if I were a bird.

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They tried to end my life by throwing me into a deep pit.

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They threw stones down at me.

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The water rose and covered my head.

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I thought I was going to die.

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Lord, I called out to you.

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I called out from the bottom of the pit.

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I prayed please don't close your ears to my cry for help.

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And you heard my appeal.

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You came near when I called out to you.

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You said do not be afraid.

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You said do not be afraid, lord.

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You stood up for me in court.

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You saved my life and set me free.

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Lord, you have seen the wrong things people have done to me.

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Stand up for me again.

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You have seen how my enemies have tried to get even with me.

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You know all about their plans against me, lord.

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You have heard them laugh at me.

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You know all about their plans against me, lord.

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You have heard them laugh at me.

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You know all about their plans against me.

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You have heard my enemies whispering among themselves.

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They speak against me all day long.

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Just look at them sitting and standing there.

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They sing and make fun of me.

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Lord, pay them back.

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Punish them for what their hands have done.

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Cover their minds with a veil.

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Put a curse on them.

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Lord, get angry with them and hunt them down.

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Wipe them off the face of the earth.

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As we come to the close of today's journey through Lamentations 3, let's take a moment to pause and reflect on the powerful lessons woven into Jeremiah's lament.

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Picture him standing amidst the ruins of Jerusalem, his heart heavy with sorrow, yet still clinging to the hope found in God's faithfulness.

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Jeremiah's words are raw and real, echoing the struggles we too face in our own lives.

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life's hardships, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on your soul in those moments?

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Lamentations 3 reminds us that even in the depths of our despair, God's mercies are new every morning.

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His compassion never fails.

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Jeremiah teaches us that reflection is not just about looking back in sorrow, but about looking forward in hope, trusting that God's love will sustain us through every trial.

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Think about your own life.

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Maybe you're facing uncertainties at work, challenges in relationships or the weariness of daily responsibilities.

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How can you, like Jeremiah, turn your heart toward God's promises?

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In ancient times, the people of Israel were called to remember God's faithfulness through rituals and storytelling.

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Today we can do the same by immersing ourselves in His Word, finding strength in prayer and sharing our faith journey with others.

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Finding strength in prayer and sharing our faith journey with others as you move through the days ahead, consider taking a moment each morning to reflect on Lamentations 3: 22-23, where it says Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

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They are new every morning.

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Great is your faithfulness.

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Let these words shape your mindset, filling you with renewed hope and steadfast faith.

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Like Jeremiah, we are called to acknowledge our struggles but not be defined by them.

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Instead, let's allow God's unwavering love to shape our perspective and guide us toward growth, healing and a deeper connection with Him.

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Thank you for joining me today as we journeyed through the Lamentations of Jeremiah 3.

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I pray that you carry these reflections with you into your day, into your week, and that you find strength in knowing God is with you in every trial, every temptation and every step of obedience.

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If this time in God's word has encouraged you, take a moment to share it with someone who might need it.

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And be sure to join me next time as we continue walking through the scriptures, learning, growing and staying faithful in the field of life.

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Until next time, may you find peace in the quiet trust in God's call and rest in His unchanging love.

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