SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 33:1-11
OBSERVATION:
God can (and will) speak to us everywhere, even when imprisoned (Jeremiah 32:3), for God’s message cannot be chained (2 Timothy 2:8-9).
Jeremiah was not popular with his own people because he kept speaking against their sinful lives.
God punishes His people by allowing them to experience the consequences of their choices, but His ultimate goal is to restore His family – to heal, to rebuild, to forgive, to exalt.
The day is coming when God’s community will be perfect in peace, joy, prosperity, morality, God is working toward that goal.
APPLICATION:
Would I be willing to be a messenger like Jeremiah (or Paul), would I be willing to pay that price?
When I am ‘imprisoned’ by my circumstances, or by those who deny/reject my faith, I can be inspired by the vision, God’s ultimate goal of restoration.
One day it will be better, nothing can prevent God’s purpose from succeeding!
God is building a better world, He is doing an ‘extreme world makeover!’
God purges to purify!
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for reminding me that no matter what happens, You are still in control. Help me not to be discouraged when Your message isn’t getting through, and help me to persevere, trusting that Your will one day establish Your kingdom! Amen.
This is definiltey an uplifting verse. I do alot of thinking about my place in the world as I attend a secular college and out of my class of roughly over 100 kids, two of us are outward spoken Christians that I know of. When I think about people’s comments to the way I act, I’m blown away. I have never been thrown in prison for my beliefs as Jeremiah was, but I do see people taking opportunities to take a shot at my faith. I find it astounding that people are shocked when I hold the door for people, when I pick up somebody’s things when they dropped it, or other little things. When did it become “crazy” to be a decent person? How astounding is it when politeness, manners, and putting others first is almost unbelievable to some people? Clearly people have been around that don’t buy into the Christian faith for a long time, but I sometimes just feel soooo weighed down and completely outnumbered in this fight. But it’s just another lesson in putting my faith in God.