Lamentations 1-2: Inside There Is Only Death

“See, O LORD, how distressed I am!
   I am in torment within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,
   for I have been most rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves;
   inside, there is only death. - Lam. 1:20 NIV 
There is no enemy greater than our internal torment.  Torment that is invisible to those on the outside, torment caused by our realization of just how far we have fallen short. I think today there is a lot of flailing and flogging at the wrong enemy  We accuse everyone on either side when it is we ourselves who are guilty.  It is we ourselves who have abandoned God and what he demanded of us.  We can point the finger elsewhere all we like, but it comes back to this.  We have wandered far, as Isaiah said, like sheep going astray.  We have all turned to our own way and it is a pitiful escape.  Now we're caught in our own trap and all we can do is accuse those on the outside of what we ourselves are guilty of.  As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."  Outside the sword may bereave, but inside there is only death.

2010 Post - Lamentations 1-2:  All Is Taken Away