Scripture:

“Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.

 

‘This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold—deeds signed and sealed and witnessed—in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the Lord, have spoken’!” Jeremiah 32:36-44 (NLT)

Perspective:

Jeremiah had an unpopular message for the people in Jerusalem. He spoke of God’s judgement on the people and their pending exile to Babylon. He was unpopular with the people. Yet, in the midst of delivering bad news, Jeremiah, in response to God’s prompting, did something very unusual. He bought a field from his uncle and had the deed of purchase stored. If the nation was going to be exiled by their enemies, then buying a field would have no current value. People would have thought he was crazy; it seemed like such a waste. Why spend your money on a field when you are soon to be living in a foreign land? However, Jeremiah knew that his actions where confirming God’s promise of hope; he stepped out in faith to speak to God’s future restoration. Although the people in Jerusalem’s reality seemed bleak, God’s plan to restore the people to their land was confirmed through Jeremiah’s actions and God’s Word. Faith gave Jeremiah vision to see the future faithfulness of God even when he was facing difficulty. It also gave him courage to put feet to his faith and follow God in obedience. Even in the midst of war, famine, and difficulty, God, through His Word about the restoration of Jerusalem, had the final say.

 

 

Our circumstances can also feel very defining. We can have the perception that our current reality will always be our reality. However, when God is at work in our lives, He continually weaves restoration into the stories we live.  It may be a marriage that is on the brink of divorce; you may be experiencing a financial loss or career setback.  When things went from bad to worse in Jerusalem, Jeremiah stepped out in faith, and he bought a field, which spoke to the people around him of God’s restoration power. He was placing his hope in God’s promises. As you examine your life, where is the field you need to see with vision of God’s faithfulness? Instead of simply seeing in the natural the realities of your situation, ask God to give you eyes to see His faithfulness and restoration power. It may require you to step out in faith even when it doesn’t align with what you see. When we allow God to have the final say, He is able to take the messy reality of our lives and give us hope for the future.

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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