Tag: Dustin Farr

Hope in the Middle of the Ruins

Lamentations 3-5

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

The book of Lamentations is heavy. It is a raw, unfiltered look at grief. Jerusalem has fallen, the temple is destroyed, and the people are either dead, exiled, or living in deep suffering. The city walls have been torn down, homes burned, leaders captured, and the streets are empty. Hunger, fear, and loss have touched every household, and the once-proud city is now a place of desolation. Every chapter is filled with heartbreak, and the writer doesn’t shy away from addressing the pain.

But this is more than just a story of destruction. It’s an honest record of what it looks like when life falls apart. When the consequences of sin, both personal and collective, are unavoidable. The people knew God’s commands, and they chose to break them. Now they are living with the fallout, and it’s not pretty.

What stands out is how Lamentations holds both grief and hope at the same time. In chapter 3, right in the middle of all the sorrow, comes this anchor: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). It’s not spoken after things get better. It’s spoken in the middle of the storm. That’s what makes it powerful for us. We all face seasons that feel like ruins, and the truth is, they do not always get better. Our faith cannot rest on whether life is comfortable or whether blessings are obvious. It has to be steady, no matter the circumstances. Like Job, who said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21), we are called to worship God whether life is full or stripped bare. The struggle may not lift quickly, but we can rest in the salvation we have through Christ and in knowing that our God is a Redeemer. Even when we cannot yet see it, He is at work.

Lamentations reminds us that it’s okay to be honest about our pain, but it also calls us to cling to God’s character in the middle of it. His faithfulness isn’t proven by how quickly He fixes things, but by His presence and unchanging promises even while we wait.

Reflection Questions

  1. Lamentations shows the people facing the full weight of their choices. How does acknowledging the reality of your own situation, without excuses, change the way you pray?
  2. The writer of Lamentations keeps talking to God even when he feels unheard. How can you practice staying in conversation with God when your prayers seem unanswered? 
  3. The book ends without a neat resolution, yet with eyes still turned toward God. How can you hold on to hope when you have no guarantee of when or how God will act?

(Thank you, Dustin Farr, for writing this week! Dustin is a first-time writer for SeekGrowLove and we look forward to hearing more from him. He is a recent Graphic Design graduate.)

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The Final Word

FRIDAY DEVOTION Jeremiah 51:24–64

(if you read that yesterday you could re-read it – and then also get a start on Jeremiah’s next book, Lamentations – Lamentations 1-2)

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

All week, we have seen God speak against nations. We have read about judgment on neighbors, warnings to the proud, and promises of restoration for His people. Again and again, the theme has been clear, God humbles the exalted and lifts up those who seek Him. Today’s passage brings that story to a close with the final word on Babylon.

Babylon was not just another nation on the list. It was the empire that crushed Jerusalem, burned the temple, and carried God’s people into exile. To Judah, Babylon’s power must have felt like an unmovable wall. Yet in today’s reading, that wall crumbles. God declares that Babylon’s destruction will be complete and final. “When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.” This is what will happen to the city that once seemed untouchable.

But this isn’t just about Babylon. It’s about the God who keeps His word. The God who, decades earlier, through the prophet Habakkuk, promised that Babylon’s reign would end. The same God who disciplined His people was also the one who defended and redeemed them. 

So when we are in the places where we feel stuck, powerless, or forgotten, we know that we can rest assured in the justice and redemption of God. There may be “Babylons” in our lives.  Health struggles that weigh us down, broken relationships that leave us hurting, financial pressures that keep us up at night, or just the struggles of life. Things that feel too strong to ever fall, and It can be easy to believe that nothing will change. But our God has the final word. His justice may take time, but it is certain. His restoration may not come when or how we want it, but it will come, and we can rest assured in that. 

If we can trust Him with the big stories of nations and empires, then surely we can trust Him with the smaller but deeply personal battles we face. The same God who threw down Babylon is the one who lifts up His people, heals what is broken, and keeps every promise He makes. Our call is to remain faithful, not letting what we see in the moment shake our confidence in the One who rules over it all.

Reflection Questions:

  1. Where have you experienced a “Babylon” in your life that God eventually brought down?
  2. Looking back over this week’s readings, what is the biggest truth about God’s character or His promises that you want to carry with you?
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The Creator Holds the Storm

Jeremiah 51-52

-Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

When life feels unpredictable, it can be easy to forget that the One who spoke the universe into existence still reigns over every detail. The same God who set the stars in place and shaped the mountains is the One who sees you, knows you, and holds your future. If He can bring order out of chaos in creation, He can bring peace into your storms. Our confidence is not in the size of our own strength, but in the greatness of His power and the goodness of His heart.

Reflection Questions:

  1. How does remembering God as the Creator strengthen your trust in Him during uncertain times?
  2. What current “storm” in your life could you place more fully under His control?
  3. When was the last time you paused to notice the beauty and order of creation, and how did it remind you of God’s power and wisdom?
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Pride Falls, But the Humble are Restored

Jeremiah 49-50

–Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

If you have been following along this week, today’s chapters may feel familiar. Once again, God speaks judgment over the nations. But this time there is a shift. In chapters 46–48, the focus was on nearby nations. In today’s reading, in chapter 50, the scope widens, and the spotlight turns to Babylon, the strongest empire of the day and the very nation God had used to discipline Judah.

Babylon’s fall was not just another victory in history. It was the fulfillment of what God had told Habakkuk earlier in our readings: the oppressor would not go unpunished. Their idols, walls, and armies would crumble, and their pride would be exposed. What made this moment unique was that the fall of Babylon also marked the beginning of Israel and Judah’s restoration. God promised they would return together, seeking Him with repentant hearts, and He would renew the covenant they had broken.

For us, the lesson is clear. Pride and worldly security can feel unshakable, but they cannot stand when God moves. True safety is found in humility before Him. As Jesus said, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). The same God who brought down Babylon can rebuild what is broken in our lives if we turn to Him in humility and trust.

Reflection Questions:

  1. When God promised the fall of Babylon, it seemed impossible to those living under its power. How does this challenge your view of what is “too big” for God to change today?
  2. Israel and Judah’s restoration was tied to turning back to God with weeping and seeking. What would it look like for you to return to Him in a season where you feel far away?
  3. Babylon’s downfall shows that no one is beyond God’s reach. How can this truth shape the way you pray for people or situations that seem unchangeable?
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No Strength Can Stand Against the LORD

Jeremiah 46-48

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

In Jeremiah 46–48 the focus is shifted outward, showing that God’s rule is not limited to Israel alone. He is sovereign over every nation, and His justice reaches far beyond Judah’s borders. In these chapters, God speaks to Egypt, Philistia, and Moab, nations confident in their own strength, secure in their own plans, and certain of their own futures. Yet in each case, the LORD declares that their confidence is an illusion. Egypt’s pride was in its armies and alliances. To human eyes, they seemed unstoppable. But God declares that they will be defeated at Carchemish, their power lost and their strategies useless before Him. Next Philistia’s fate is pictured in chapter 47 as an unstoppable flood, with the Babylonian forces sweeping across the land, leaving cities silenced and grief in their wake. Finally, In chapter 48, God addresses Moab, whose downfall comes not from a lack of defenses, but from a heart of pride. They trusted in their wealth, their fortified cities, and their false gods, but even they could not stand against the living God. However, God ends with a promise that in the latter days, Moab will be restored. This spoke to me as proof that despite his justice being sure, God is always capable of restoration.

What also stood out to me is how easily pride can blind us to the truth. Egypt, Philistia, and Moab all felt secure in what they had built, yet none of it could stand when the LORD came with judgement. Strength apart from God is only just an illusion. I think this calls us to examine what we’re leaning on. Is it our abilities, relationships, resources, or position? If it’s not God Himself, it will eventually fail us. The God who brought nations low is the same God who offers Himself as a stronghold to those who take refuge in Him. Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Reflection Questions:

  1. Which false securities do you most see most in our world today?
  2. Where might pride or misplaced confidence be keeping you from full dependence on God?
  3. How does God’s promise of restoration to His people encourage you in a season of uncertainty?
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Hearing God’s Word is Not the Same as Following It

Jeremiah 41-45

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

After Jerusalem fell to Babylon, a small remnant remained in Judah under the leadership of a man named Gedaliah, who was appointed governor by Babylon. During this time there was stability but it was short-lived due to a man named Ishmael. Ishmael was a royal descendant of the line of David and desiring power created a plot to assassinate Gedaliah and his council. He didn’t stop there but then also killed the Babylonian guards, and even murdered Judeans who were with him. His violence went further when seventy men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria came to bring grain and incense to the temple. Ishmael lured them in and slaughtered them, sparing only ten who bribed him with hidden supplies. These were not acts of justice. They were fueled by pride, ambition, and a willingness to kill the innocent to secure power.

In the aftermath, fear spread through the remnant of the Judean people. Johanan and the other leaders gathered and the survivors approached Jeremiah the prophet, asking him to pray to the LORD for direction. They promised to obey whatever God revealed. For ten days, Jeremiah waited for God’s answer while the people appeared willing to hear it. In reality, they had already decided on their course…fleeing to Egypt for safety.

When God’s answer came, it was direct. Stay in the land, and He would protect them; go to Egypt, and judgment would follow. The message was a test of trust. Would they believe God could preserve them under Babylon’s rule, or would they seek security on their own terms? Their response revealed their hearts. They accused Jeremiah of lying and acting under Babylonian influence, then forced him and Baruch to go with them to Egypt.

Once in Egypt, they returned to idol worship. They knew God’s commands and yet chose to break them. But their disobedience would have consequences. They knew God’s commands and yet chose to break them. Their disobedience would not go unanswered. God made it clear that the very place they sought for safety would be the place of their destruction. The sword, famine, and plague they feared in Judah would meet them in Egypt.

In the middle of this message of judgment, God also spoke to Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe. While others were seizing power or chasing their own plans, Baruch was called to remain faithful in the work God had given him. God told him not to pursue “great things” for himself during this time, and in return promised to preserve his life. It was a reminder that in seasons of uncertainty, real security comes from God’s hand, not from self-promotion or human strategy. This passage highlights how meaningless it is to ask the LORD for guidance, if you don’t plan on adhering to it. True obedience means submitting to His direction even when it opposes our plans. Faithfulness matters more than personal ambition, and security apart from God is an illusion.

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you ever sought God’s direction but deep down hoped it would match what you already wanted?
  2. How does this account challenge you to submit to God’s will even when it conflicts with your plans?
  3. What would faithfulness look like for you in your current situation?
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When the Outcome is Unseen

Habakkuk 1-3

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

Why do bad people seem to succeed in this life? Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked seem to get away with everything? And if God sees it, why doesn’t He step in right away?

That’s exactly where the book of Habakkuk begins. The prophet cries out to the LORD, confused and hurting, asking why injustice is allowed to go on. It’s a reminder that God isn’t afraid of our concerns. He wants us to bring our pain, our doubts, and even our “why” straight to Him.

God answers Habakkuk in a way he doesn’t expect. He says He will use the Chaldeans (a powerful and wicked people) to bring judgment on Judah (a less powerful and less wicked people). But He also makes it clear that their strength is nothing compared to His, and their own judgment is coming.

Habakkuk learns that affliction is part of living in a broken world. God’s justice is not absent just because it isn’t immediate. His plans are bigger than what we can see, and even while Habakkuk was praying, God’s answers and plans were already in motion, just not in a way he could yet understand.

In the middle of this, God gives Habakkuk a promise. “The righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Paul quotes this later in Romans 1:17, reminding believers that faith is the foundation of a right relationship with God.

By the end of the book, Habakkuk’s tone shifts. His questions turn into worship. Chapter 3, written as a song, closes with 

“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18)

That’s the kind of faith we’re called to, not just praising God for what He’s done, but trusting in Him even when the outcome is still unseen.

Reflection Questions:

  1. What does Habakkuk’s honesty in prayer teach you about how to approach God in hard times?
  2. How does “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4) challenge your response to unanswered prayers?
  3. What would it look like for you to rejoice in the LORD this week, even in uncertainty?

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