July 31, 2001
"However, the days are coming," declares the LORD,
"when men will no longer say, `As surely as the LORD lives,
who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say,
`As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites
up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries
where he had banished them. 'For I will restore them to
the land I gave their forefathers.
Jeremiah 16:14-15
This chapter in Jeremiah is another very dark one. In the verses surrounding this God lays out how he will deal with Israel for their lack of repentance. There are many hard words... God speaks of paying back double for their sin. That was the rule of the Law and God was faithful to everything he declared to the people. HOWEVER, in the midst of it God still holds out hope for his people. He was describing in dark, and very realistic terms, exactly what it would be like but he still holds out light/hope for the people. God is honest about the reality of darkness, He takes our sin and the mess the world is in very seriously... but he still holds out hope! God's plan, promises and his love cannot be thwarted, stopped, encumbered, limited, altered or frustrated. God will always be faithful to his words!