1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
2 How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
4 Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps. (Lamentations 4:1-5)
Thoughts: When disaster strikes, values change. When a hurricane hits and we can't get food or gas, a cadillac is not worth much. When the electricity is off, the TV and computer isn't worth a lot. So Jeremiah laments that gold and silver are scattered- not worth anything, because the people are gone. The writer of Lamentations laments that the most precious gift-= children, and tehy are devalued as if they were dust or clay. The rich and the powerful have been devalued. In 1982 Mexico defaulted on its debt (overspent on social programs) and the inflation rate there for the next 11 years was 10,000%. Those who had saved up for their retirement lost everything. Then in 1985 there was the Mexico earthquake (10,000 were killed). America's neighboring country can teach us a lot about security. The things of this life which we think are always secure may not be so secure. Jeremiah reminds us to value people over things in this life. There is a time to laugh and a time to weep in this life. But there is always a value that cannot be taken away by any army- that is our treasure in heaven.
Prayer: Help me not to store up treasure on earth, but treasure with you.
The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
2 How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
4 Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps. (Lamentations 4:1-5)
Thoughts: When disaster strikes, values change. When a hurricane hits and we can't get food or gas, a cadillac is not worth much. When the electricity is off, the TV and computer isn't worth a lot. So Jeremiah laments that gold and silver are scattered- not worth anything, because the people are gone. The writer of Lamentations laments that the most precious gift-= children, and tehy are devalued as if they were dust or clay. The rich and the powerful have been devalued. In 1982 Mexico defaulted on its debt (overspent on social programs) and the inflation rate there for the next 11 years was 10,000%. Those who had saved up for their retirement lost everything. Then in 1985 there was the Mexico earthquake (10,000 were killed). America's neighboring country can teach us a lot about security. The things of this life which we think are always secure may not be so secure. Jeremiah reminds us to value people over things in this life. There is a time to laugh and a time to weep in this life. But there is always a value that cannot be taken away by any army- that is our treasure in heaven.
Prayer: Help me not to store up treasure on earth, but treasure with you.
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