Letter to the Congregations: 23rd May 2026

Our Dear Brethren,

“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me time and time again throughout the day” (Lamentations 3:1-3).

Jeremiah was a man often filled with sorrow. He had a deep love for God and for his people. God had given him the tough job of warning kings of their rebellion and impending fall. Even though the people of God didn’t listen to most of what he had to say, Jeremiah was urged by God to continue on with his warning message even through discouragement.

There were many times when he questioned whether or not God heard or listened to his prayers: “Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8). His words and feelings often paralleled those of Job: “I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. But You have become cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand You oppose me” (Job 30:20-21).

But even through the difficult times Jeremiah still spoke the true words from God. And he also acknowledged God’s faithfulness to His promises and to His people. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

When we are weak, when we are troubled, when we aren’t sure if God hears our prayers, do we remember how He has always been faithful? Do we rely on the fact that, even when today doesn’t seem to be working out the way we had hoped, God has better times planned ahead for us?

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe