Readings for today: Jeremiah 29-32
God’s anger lasts but a moment but His favor for a lifetime. God abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness even as He is committed to holding the guilty accountable. Though His judgment extends to the third and fourth generations, His grace far exceeds it, extending to a thousand generations. This is who God is. This is who God has revealed Himself to be. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He always stays true to Himself.
The people of Israel learned this lesson. They refused to turn from their sin and they were judged. God exiled them to Babylon. They became a strange people living in a strange land, weeping as they sang the songs of Zion. They were uprooted from the Promised Land. They lost their Holy Temple. Their entire way of life was destroyed. Their covenant with God seemingly irretrievably broken. So what now? “Build houses and make yourselves at home. Plant gardens and eat what grows. Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children. Thrive in the country where I have sent you. Make yourselves at home there and work for her welfare. Pray for her well-being. Your well-being is intrinsically tied up to her well-being. Most of all, trust Me. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out. I will bring you back home. I will not abandon you. I will take care of you. I will you give you the future you hope for. So call on Me and I will listen. Look for Me and I will make Myself known. I won’t disappoint you. I won’t let you down if you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else.” (Adapted from Jeremiah 29:5-14 MSG)
Do we have the faith to believe these words are as much for us as they were for the people of God in Jeremiah’s day? Do we trust God enough to let go of our ego, let go of our need for control, let go of our need for power and let Him direct our paths? Do we have the courage to live the quiet life? Go about our daily business? Build homes? Plant gardens? Marry and have children? Bless our town? Pray for our community’s leaders? Let God work out His plan in His way according to His timing? This is the essence of faith. It’s living our lives with complete trust in God’s sovereign plan and, more importantly, God’s unchangeable character. God is trustworthy. God is true. God is dependable. God is loyal. God is faithful. God is good. Because of all these things and more, we have nothing to fear. Because of all these things and more, we can cast all our anxieties on Him. Because of all these things and more, we don’t have to push so hard or hold on so tight. God is in control. God knows what He’s doing. God has a plan. He will bring it to pass. He has not abandoned you. He has plans to take care of you. He will give you the future you hope for if you surrender to Him.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 33-37