Jeremiah

I don't think Jeremiah got invited to many parties...nevertheless, I found a message of hope in my reading this week.

In Jeremiah 29:11-14, it says:

“11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

In Deuteronomy 4:29-31:

“29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

 31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.”

Here the Lord speaks to the Jews that have been carried away captive to Babylon, due to their insistent disobedience.

How can we apply these words of tenderness and mercy to those who are captive to sin? 

Well, I think it leads into a principle that I keep knocking my head on in the Old Testament, which is:

The Lord never turn his back on us, no matter how often we turn from him.

He gave us commandments, he warned us what would happen if we chose to disobey…and he still wants us back, and continues to provide opportunities for us to return to him.