求主使我們向祢回轉、我們便得回轉（哀5章）

耶和華阿、求你使我們向你回轉、我們便得回轉．求你復新我們的日子、像古時一樣。（哀 5：21）

本章是耶利米哀歌的結束，最後仍然有先知滿滿止不住的悲傷與眼淚。但是正如神感動先知在第三章哀歌所提到的真理：「活人因自己的罪受罰、為何發怨言呢？」（哀 3：39）。因此，每天的遭遇都不是偶然的，此時的先知自己也心知肚明。只是這樣的刑罰，已經進入程序，既已發動，就要跑完流程。犯罪的人，一但錯失悔改的最後期限，進入刑罰階段，只能耐心面對，除了不停地向神悔罪之外，也只能等候流程走完的一天。

全章可見的亮光，只有這節是對信仰正面的回應，也是今天經文的亮光所在。

人，難免犯錯，有時偶然為過犯所勝，但是卻不可自暴自棄。悔改，是一定要有的行動。悔罪的原則，一定要自己主動歸向神，也就是要有願意回轉的心，雖然犯罪之人，將比平常人在心理上感覺到更強烈的無力感，因為對自己不信任。

常常跪下禱告，深切悔改是必要的，並要向神表達真誠悔罪的心志，如同這裡一開頭所呼求的「耶和華啊！」；然後不可放棄自己，雖軟弱，也要向神支取悔改的力量，說：「求祢使我們向祢回轉，我們便得回轉」。這句話是將主權交給神，因我無能為力，對自己無法信任，我只能在主前表達我悔罪的意願，也表達我的無力感。但是我相信神若願意，我必能回轉，願主成全。

我們很多人總是會經歷「犯罪」-「悔改」-「回轉」-「犯罪」的惡性循環中。接著在幾個循環後就自暴自棄了，因為發現改不過來。這些神都知道，所以祂要成為我們的依靠，這也是保羅教我們的，想必他自己也曾為過犯所苦惱過。他說：

我真是苦阿、誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？感謝神、靠着我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。這樣看來、我以內心順服神的律．我肉體卻順服罪的律了。（羅 7：24-25）

連保羅這位自制力的優等生都曾深感無能為力了，我們這些平凡人如何勝過？這句「感謝神、靠着我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了」就是解答。我們不要自以為想悔改，就改得過來，神所要的，就只是我們願做的心，並向神表達心志，接下來就要依靠神，方法就是順從聖靈。

我說:：「你們當順着聖靈而行、就不放縱肉體的情慾了。因為情慾和聖靈相爭、聖靈和情慾相爭．這兩個是彼此相敵、使你們不能作所願意作的。但你們若被聖靈引導、就不在律法以下。」（加 5：16-18）

By Isaiah Kao

Restore US to You,That We May Restored (Lam 5)

August 23, 2026

“Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old.” (Lam. 5:21, NASB 2020)

This chapter brings the Book of Lamentations to its conclusion. Yet at the end, the prophet is still filled with deep and unceasing sorrow. However, this is consistent with the truth God had moved the prophet to express earlier in chapter 3: “Why should any living person complain, any man, In view of his sins?” (Lam. 3:39).

Therefore, what we experience each day is not accidental. The prophet himself knew this very clearly at this point. Yet such punishment has entered into its course, after it has been set in motion, the process must be done. When a person who has sinned misses the final opportunity for repentance and enters the stage of punishment, there is nothing left but to patiently face it. Apart from continually confessing and repenting before God, one can only wait for the day when the process has run its course.

The only clear light of faith found in this entire chapter is this verse. It is the positive response of faith, and it is also where the light of today’s passage shines.

People inevitably make mistakes. Sometimes we are overcome by a transgression unintentionally. But we must never give up on ourselves. Repentance must be an intentional action. The principle of repentance is to actively turn back to God, that is, to have a willing heart to return to Him. Although a person who has sinned may experience a much stronger sense of helplessness than usual, we must still turn back to God.

We need to kneel down often in prayer and repent deeply. We must express to God our sincere determination to repent, just as the prophet begins here by crying out, “O LORD!” Then we must not give up on ourselves. Even in our weakness, we should draw from God the strength to repent and say, “Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored.” This sentence is an act of surrendering the sovereignty to God. I have no strength of my own, and I cannot even trust myself. All I can do before the Lord is express my willingness to repent and acknowledge my helplessness. Yet I believe that if God is willing, I will be able to turn back. May the Lord accomplish this in me.

Many of us repeatedly experience the vicious cycle of “sin" , "repentance" , "turning back" , "sin.” After going through several such cycles, we become discouraged and give up because we discover that we simply cannot change. God knows all of this. Therefore, He wants to become our dependence. This is also what Paul taught us. Presumably, he himself had experienced the agony of struggling with sin. He said:

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7:24–25, NASB 2020)

Even Paul, who possessed such remarkable self-discipline, deeply experienced his own helplessness. How, then, can ordinary people like us overcome sin? The answer is found in these words: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” We should not assume that simply because we want to repent, we will immediately be able to change ourselves. What God desires is simply that we be willing to make a heart and express our determination to Him. After that, we must depend on God. The way to do this is to walk according to the Holy Spirit.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” (Gal. 5:16–18, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao