Lamentations 5

Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored;
Renew our days as of old, v.21

Read chapter 5
Lamentations is a great picture of how a godly man responds to sin and the results of sin.  Written by Jeremiah, we see that he isn't just passive and does nothing about Israel's sin and its result into captivity, rather he suffers alongside them, calls them out in truth of their sin, and leads them as a nation to repentance.  This shows a nations repentance leads to a nations blessing.  He identifies himself included in the sin of Israel, as he is an Israelite, though he was righteous before God.  Throughout this book we have seen Jeremiah's extreme distress of their situation- the destruction of Jerusalem and all Judah and Israel either killed or in captivity.  The only result to the mess they're in is to turn back to the Lord to be restored.  And notice it is God acting first.  He's the one to turn them back. By themselves they will never turn to the Lord, yet by His grace to allow them to return is it possible.  

It all comes back to God- EVERYTHING!

Jeremiah, a godly man, didn't just ignore or become indifferent to sin and neither should we who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus.  How do you react to sin of others around you?  Why do we so often choose to ignore sin and its results?  How do you notice that everything in this life comes back to God?