Jeremiah's Witness

10This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^b I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14) 

1“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of those who believe in me, and they will be my people. 2This is what the LORD says: Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.” 3Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4I will rebuild you, my people. You will again be happy and take up instruments of music and be glad...33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” (Jer. 31)

Thoughts: Jeremiah lived during the last days of the ancient kingdom of Judah.  He sadly prophesied they would be taken into exile.  He was put in the mud pit for being such a negative naysayer.  Yet Jeremiah also gave the people hope.  In fact Daniel and the writer of Chronicles quoted his hopeful verses that the Lord had a future and a hope for His people.  There are those- atheists and militant Islamists who say the church will die and so will the faith.  Yet, God always left a remnant of His faithful ones who kept the faith and made a difference.  The Lord did bring the people back and restored them.  He still is in the work of restoring those who believe in Him and do not waver.  Jeremiah kept the faith at great cost, and he also kept the faith in terrible times.  We are called to imitate him. 

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to keep the faith, and to not be overwhelmed by evil and naysayers.