I feel a camaraderie of spirit with Jeremiah as I read through the messages he spoke for the Lord. These messages found in the book of Jeremiah are full of grief and woe. Trials being turned into triumph was a thing of the past. Worship of God had been replaced with idolatry. Pride and arrogance have become the bywords of the nation. Jeremiah weeps for the state of his people who have turned away from God. They have rejected their only source of help.
As I grasp the wickedness of our world today, I weep along with Jeremiah at the plight of our land. As the news breaks about the debauchery in high places, I wander if there is anything that can be done. But then I am reminded of the hope that God continually offers.
Messages of Hope
Time and again God gave a message to Jeremiah to relay to his people. God longed for them to repent and turn back to Him. He continues to reach out to humanity today with a love that longs to bring each one of us to a place of faith and forgiveness.
Many times we find ourselves in grievous circumstances and a threatening storm surrounds us. In those times be reminded that God has not abandoned you. He stands ready to gather you close when you turn to Him.
In the midst of circumstances that seem hopeless the only help is when we turn to the One that made the hills. He offers unfailing and unconditional love. There is hope and help found in his embrace.
Against the backdrop of the wickedness of the nation, Jeremiah threads a gleaming ray of hope throughout his pronouncements of judgment. His confidence is in the God who is a refuge in the time of affliction (16:19) Moreover, in chapter 10 Jeremiah reminds the people of the living and powerful God. The Creator and Preserver of all.
This all-powerful God offers an unconditional and unfailing love. Hear him as he declares,
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Jeremiah 31:3
Truths, Trials and Triumphs
God continues to draw and woo his creation to Himself. As we seek and find forgiveness of sins, we can rest in the arms of the all-powerful, but personal God. We will find ourselves facing hardships and heartaches even while we live with a heart surrendered to God. In those times remember what Jeremiah points out.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies listens when we pray and intervenes in the desperate plights we find ourselves in. (29:12) Again in Lamentations 3:55-58 Jeremiah reminds us that God hears our cries. Jeremiah refers to his own story of deliverance from the pit. He testifies to the reality of a God who redeems his life. It is only when we turn our hearts in the midst of our trials toward this One who triumphs over all that we will be able to balance the life we live in this world.
As we continue to read through the book of Jeremiah and into the book of Lamentations we find another steadfast truth that dares us to hope in spite of the suffering that we perceive.
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is they faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
Counteracting the Imbalance
As we face the trials of this life we can balance them only when we turn to the God who always triumphs. His compassion and care have not dried up. As we face each new day, we find a fresh supply of his mercy at our fingertips. His faithfulness will always be greater than any of the trials that we will face. When our hearts weep and our trials have brought imbalance to our soul let’s work to counteract that disproportion.
- Focus on the God who always triumphs.
- Recollect the victories of the past.
- Determine to grasp the promises of God for today.
- Expect the faithfulness of God to work in your life.
- Trust that God will turn your trials into triumphs.
The darkness of the world around us tend to drag our eyes downward. Nevertheless, we must fight to bring balance to our lives by lifting our eyes heavenward to the the Almighty God who hears and intervenes. The God of Heaven’s Armies will triumph. Trust your trial to Him.
0 Comments