Friday,
March 26, 2021
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message: “This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy. You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness. “Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them. Jeremiah 33:1-9
Jeremiah the prophet was in jail. This is the same guy who wrote about calling
on the Lord for answers, and he’s in a pit for telling the truth about Israel’s
sin, and how God would use the Babylonians, despised pagans, to destroy the Holy
City.
This was the same Jeremiah who earlier wrote[1] words of joy and good plans for hope and a future. Now he tells the men of the city to not waste their time fighting God’s enemy, Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king…Jerusalem’s freedom fighters are already as good as dead. I suppose it was anybody’s guess which Jeremiah would show up on a given day, optimist or pessimist!
The prophet speaks of a time when God would forgive, heal, and prosper His people. The words are as gracious and hope-filled as the former words were frightening: heal, prosperity, peace, restore, rebuild, cleanse, forgive, joy, glory, honor, good.
God’s promises are like that.
With a single word, even spoken from a jail cell, God’s righteous
judgment can send us into waves of shock and despair over our rebellious,
sinful ways. And with another word of
hope, restoration, and forgiveness, the despair becomes light and a future.
There are people, like you, like me, who have plummed the
depths of despair. We know our sins, and
how much we’ve strayed from God’s pathway.
We know how dark our minds and hearts can grow. We’ve seen the wrong side of living.
And, yet, there is that one word…Nevertheless!
For You Today
If your Jeremiah’s words are despairing, grief, and
looming destruction, own them and lay them at the foot of the cross. The “nevertheless” still stands. He will heal, restore, bless, and….well, you
get the idea!
You chew on that as you hit the
Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
[1] See Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
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