in you; great is my

It's interesting how perceptions can change given a year and the moving of the Spirit. Last year at this time, enjoying Jer much more than Isa. This year, the reverse. You also forget the pleasant surprises, which brings me to today. We come to Lam, and ch 1-2 read like Elizabeth Wurtzel. But then you get to ch 3 and you remember something:

The book of Lamentations is an analogy of the believer's life.

Your existence prior to your meeting Him is hopeless, even if you do not realize it. It is the Lord in His justice and holiness exalting your enemies' might; it is a distant comforter, a yoked soul; it is you delivered into the hands of those against whom you cannot stand. You read ch 1-2 and get all this and feel your bound soul.

Then the turning comes and you get Lam3:22-23. In the midst of the darkness, you get a 180; instead of the constant howling, you get a great-hymn-of-faith resonance within you that speaks to the saving power of Christ. This pleasant surprise from the reader's standpoint can be strikingly more clear to you from the eternal standpoint if you make the turning yourself. Today.