What Do You See?

from Bill Sayer

In Jeremiah 32 – 33, we read that Jerusalem was facing imminent invasion by the Babylonians who would ultimately lead many into exile. Siege ramps had been deployed around the city, and Jeremiah was under arrest in the courtyard of the guard (33:1). Jeremiah, and likely many others, were saying that the land was, or would become, a desolate waste without men or animals (v10).

Then Jeremiah hears the word of the Lord: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (33:3) What were these “great and unsearchable things” that God had in mind, and which he confided to Jeremiah?

Health and healing of the people (v6, 7)

Cleansing from sin (v8)

Restoration (v11)

Promise of a Saviour – The Lord our Righteousness (v15, 16)

We can imagine Jeremiah feeling at his lowest, confined in the courtyard of the guard and seeing the land ravaged by Judah’s enemies, and then hearing that God has a plan that was beyond anything he could imagine!

What do you see, as you look around your community today? Do you see prostitution, drug issues, worship of false gods, social disintegration – desolation?
The great news is that God has a plan, a plan that not only leads to a reversal of all that is spiritually desolate, but a plan that ultimately leads to Jesus’ kingdom being established – the Lord our Righteousness.

In our prayers, let us not become weighed down by the desolation that is all too obvious around us, but rather let’s tune into God’s word of promise that He has spoken in the Bible:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20)