Lamentations 5:4 “We must pay for the water we drink.”

Maybe the first devotional Bible lesson I ever wrote, back when I was in college, was called “Paying for Water.” I don’t really remember it except for the name and where the inspiration sprang from, but I think it was about paying for something that’s freely offered.

God’s children have so many free gifts offered to them. We don’t have to work for them. We work because of them. We give our lives over to freely serving others because of the incredible free gifts we’ve been given. We love because He first loved us. We don’t have to earn it and we shouldn’t act like others need to earn our love or the service we offer them in Jesus’ name.

It also struck me that one of the laments is that they have become orphans and fatherless and widows. Who are those the Lord takes extra special care of? The widow and the fatherless. Coming into this affliction is turning them back to God and God is going to show great care and compassion for them in their state.

One of the laments is that their fathers sinned and they bear the iniquities. God doesn’t punish children for their ancestors’ sins, but we experience the consequences of the sins of others. That’s part of living in a fallen world. We all experience hardship because of our own sins and because of the sins of those around us. God’s not out to get you because of another’s sins. God can redeem it and turn it into a blessing for you.

God is dealing with the whole, but God is also dealing with the individual.

God is great at the reversal, but in this act, it’s going the wrong way. Their joy has turned to sorrow and their dancing into mourning. That’s what sin does. God reverses that.

The book ends with a plea for restoration, unless, that is, God remains exceedingly angry.

God’s anger is for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. The joy and dancing coming in the morning. God will restore His people.