I saw this on Justin Taylor's blog, and I was so touched by it I had to post it myself...have some tissues handy and be prepared to be amazed at the goodness of our God in the midst of tragic circumstances.
http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A thought
I came across a thought in Jeremiah that I found rather interesting (I could very well be the last person to notice this, but just in case I thought I would share it!) : )
Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. It can be applied to almost any circumstance, and has provided great comfort. But it is interesting to notice the context of this verse--
"For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. And I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the from where I sent you into exile.'"
Several things to note:
1. The phrase "declares the Lord" is repeated several times in these few verses alone--indicating the importance the author places on the fact that these are not his words but are indeed the words of our great God Himself.
2. Historically, Jeremiah was a prophet to the Israelites, who had a very long history of loving the Lord, turning away from Him, recieving judgement, repenting, and the Lord welcoming them back as His children. The particular event referred to in this passage is the Hebrew exile into Babylon, a historical event in which the Israelites were taken captive by the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzer) and scattered throughout the Babylonian empire (called the Babylonian Captivity).
3. The Lord indicates that He not only knows the future, but is active in all aspects of it--from the judgement of Israel itself to the restoration of His people.
What can we conclude?
1. What the Lord says, the Lord will do. The Babylonian captivity did indeed take place...and Israel was eventually not only restored in fortune but was gifted with the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord is gracious and loving toward His people--over and over and over again. To the Israelites, the Captivity was a calamity--but the Lord promises that what appears to be a calamity is for the good of His people, and is not to harm them. Indeed, it is to give them "a future and a hope"--culminating in the coming of the promised Messiah, the Savior.
3. The Lord does indeed have good purposes for what He does--both immediate and long-term. More immediately, the Israelites were shown the graciousness and loving purposes of our God in acting to bring His wandering people back to Him. In the long term, the Diaspora (or dispersing of the Jews throughout the Babylonian Empire) created pockets of Jewish people all over Mespotamia. This, I believe, helped to set the stage for the coming of the Messiah--in numerous ways.
How can we apply this?
1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Lord knows what He is doing--and even in the face of what appears to be uncontrollable calamity, God is in charge and God is working to bring about more good that we can imagine! ("No eye has seen, no ear has percieved, no mind can concieve what God has prepared for those who love Him!") He is working for a "future and a hope" for us, that will bring us joy and cause us to rejoice in our gracious Lord.
2. If you are in sin, or feeling guilty over a past or events that grieved our Holy God, look to the love and grace that He showed to Israel over and over and over again. There are consequences for our actions oftentimes, but the Lord is loving and carries us through everything, including His own judgement (which is for our good). And He will always welcome back His children with loving arms--and restore them, just as He did the Israelites. Trust His promises, and trust His forgiveness!
William Cowper sums all of this up very nicely in an old hymn....
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
-Cowper, 1774
love kristi
p.s. keep your eyes open for the second installment of pictures and an update from the last part of the summer here at the North Wing! : ) km
Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. It can be applied to almost any circumstance, and has provided great comfort. But it is interesting to notice the context of this verse--
"For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. And I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the from where I sent you into exile.'"
Several things to note:
1. The phrase "declares the Lord" is repeated several times in these few verses alone--indicating the importance the author places on the fact that these are not his words but are indeed the words of our great God Himself.
2. Historically, Jeremiah was a prophet to the Israelites, who had a very long history of loving the Lord, turning away from Him, recieving judgement, repenting, and the Lord welcoming them back as His children. The particular event referred to in this passage is the Hebrew exile into Babylon, a historical event in which the Israelites were taken captive by the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzer) and scattered throughout the Babylonian empire (called the Babylonian Captivity).
3. The Lord indicates that He not only knows the future, but is active in all aspects of it--from the judgement of Israel itself to the restoration of His people.
What can we conclude?
1. What the Lord says, the Lord will do. The Babylonian captivity did indeed take place...and Israel was eventually not only restored in fortune but was gifted with the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
2. The Lord is gracious and loving toward His people--over and over and over again. To the Israelites, the Captivity was a calamity--but the Lord promises that what appears to be a calamity is for the good of His people, and is not to harm them. Indeed, it is to give them "a future and a hope"--culminating in the coming of the promised Messiah, the Savior.
3. The Lord does indeed have good purposes for what He does--both immediate and long-term. More immediately, the Israelites were shown the graciousness and loving purposes of our God in acting to bring His wandering people back to Him. In the long term, the Diaspora (or dispersing of the Jews throughout the Babylonian Empire) created pockets of Jewish people all over Mespotamia. This, I believe, helped to set the stage for the coming of the Messiah--in numerous ways.
How can we apply this?
1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Lord knows what He is doing--and even in the face of what appears to be uncontrollable calamity, God is in charge and God is working to bring about more good that we can imagine! ("No eye has seen, no ear has percieved, no mind can concieve what God has prepared for those who love Him!") He is working for a "future and a hope" for us, that will bring us joy and cause us to rejoice in our gracious Lord.
2. If you are in sin, or feeling guilty over a past or events that grieved our Holy God, look to the love and grace that He showed to Israel over and over and over again. There are consequences for our actions oftentimes, but the Lord is loving and carries us through everything, including His own judgement (which is for our good). And He will always welcome back His children with loving arms--and restore them, just as He did the Israelites. Trust His promises, and trust His forgiveness!
William Cowper sums all of this up very nicely in an old hymn....
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
-Cowper, 1774
love kristi
p.s. keep your eyes open for the second installment of pictures and an update from the last part of the summer here at the North Wing! : ) km
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