Joey's Journal - September 2, 2006

O Sovereign Lord! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power. Nothing is too hard for you!’ If we believe this, why do we not obey the Lord?

Part 2 of 2

Background : Jeremiah’s prayer and bewilderment were heard by God. Because he obeyed God’s instructions, God responds to His faithful messenger and further affirms why His plan was to give Israel to the Babylonians and then, redeem it back to its full glory and prominence. God blesses Jeremiah for his obedience and restores him to own the land he purchased before the Babylonian rule.

My Reading - God’s response to Jeremiah’s Prayer The Lord acknowledges that nothing
is really hard for Him! He validates that the wrath and anger He has shown to them was due to their disobedience in turning to worshipping other gods like Baal. He again allows and puts His chosen nation under the captivity of King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon. God says, 32 The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done—they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. 34 They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters [c] to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin (Jer 32:32-35)

God’s Promise of Restoration : This is self-explanatory and better read the way God has said it and we should take it to heart. He is really awesome! God says, 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. 42 "This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. (Jer 32:37-42)

God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Puzzlement : 43 Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, 'It is a desolate waste, without men or animals, for it has been handed over to the Babylonians.' 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, [d] declares the LORD." (Jer 32:43-44) God, because of His faithfulness and love, would bring back the Promise Land to His chosen nation. And because of his obedience to God, Jeremiah will be blessed by having title to the land he purchased during the Babylonian siege.

My Reflection - I can not help but be amazed by our God! His unfailing love and compassion are very reassuring and He forgives all the despicable sins that we have thrown at Him. The Chosen Nation after He delivered them from the Egyptians and into the Promise Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, started to disobey Him by worshipping other gods and doing sacrifices that defiled God’s Temple. He gave them disaster after disaster so that they will be corrected in their ways. And finally, He rescued them again to bring the 2nd Israel to a better standing than the previous one.

Just like in our lives, we, after accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, go back to our sinful ways much to God the Father’s unhappiness. He has sent His only Son to erase all our sins just like God delivering the Israelites from Egypt’s bondage. Yet, our sinful nature gets the best of us and again we succumb to the temptation of the evil one. The Lord God time and again because of His goodness, sends alarm bells and wake up calls to us to correct and turn away from our sinful ways. Our God is there to forgive us and restore us to that perfect standing with Him. He promises this covenant with us that He will bless us and do good things for us and more importantly, offer us that invitation to once again be with Him in the Heavenly Kingdom.

My Prayer – Father, may You never stop giving us second chances. May we know that Your love and compassion for us includes the invitation to be with You in the Heavenly Kingdom. May we choose to accept the invitation without any reservation because it will restore us back holy and pure in the presence of our Father. May we always know that the Father is faithful to His children and offers nothing but the best for them! All these I commit in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

by : Joey B.