The laments in this chapter are personal laments. The author has grieved for his city and his nation. Now he grieves for himself because of the Lord’s judgment. He has witnessed firsthand the Lord’s wrath. Evidence of the Lord’s wrath is all around him. Here the author speaks of his own affliction. He walks in darkness. The Lord’s hand is against him all day long. He is surrounded with bitterness and hardship. Try as he might, he cannot escape the misery of God’s judgment. He is walled in like a prison.

The author was once prosperous. Not so anymore. He was once at peace. Not so anymore (17). He is a laughingstock to his people. The author admits his heart has been pierced with the Lord’s arrows. What happens when a heart is pierced? It dies. When we don’t have God, we don’t have life. This is not just the sorrowful words of a man in sin. These are the words of a man who has been abandoned by God. When the Lord removes his blessing from us (his presence), our lives are utterly devoid of worth or pleasure. The only answer is to repent and come to Jesus. Our sins will be forgiven, and we will be restored.
Application: Father, how can we endure without your mercy? Have mercy on us and forgive us our sin.
One Word: No hope without the Lord