A GOOD END
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that. 12 At that time, you will call out for Me, and I will hear. You will pray, and I will listen. 13 You will look for Me intently, and you will find Me. 14 Yes, I will be found by you,” says the Eternal, “and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations where you’ve been scattered—all the places where I have driven you. I will bring you back to the land that is your rightful home.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14) This beautiful promise for Israel given during a harsh season of divine judgment sadly fell largely on deaf ears. Who could have imagined that even in the darkest moments of exile through disobedience to God’s Torah could have prompted Him to generate a message of such comfort and encouragement? And who would even dare to hope that this Divine
promise would ever reach fruition? It took 70 years, but in the fullness of time, God honoured it as He always does. His eternal purposes continued to roll forward leaving in itswake a battlefield of twists and turns an d unfulfilled dreams for many. Yet, His promises remain forever reliable and entire!
It is an easy thing for us to forget these things for our lives especially whenever things appear to go wrong! This is why God underlined the point at the end of the first statement to the Jewish people: ‘Never forget!” It recalls things from both a negative and positive vantage point. For example, as the Jewish people annually commemorate HolocaustMemorial Day (Yom ha-Shoah) ever y effort is made to ensure that this unimaginable tragedy will forever be remembered and preserved for future generations – we will never forget! The deeper layer of all this is that God may sometimes appear hidden yet can be apprehended even in this most hideous catastrophe for those with eyes to see and faith to believe. How much more can we also treasure, preserve and recall His everlasting positive and over-riding purposes for our lives amidst the imponderables and seemingly contradictory things we experience however small, great or insurmountable they may seem to be.
Remember today, especially if you in ‘exile,’ the words of God, and be comforted for a future hope that may well come to fruition sooner than you think!. This has nothing to do with New Age visualisation known as ‘the power of positive thinking’ but everything to do with taking God at His word:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope – never forget that.”
As God’s children, we can stretch forward and collect all the negative pieces of wretchedness in one pile and smile broadly with a peace that passes all understanding and a joy that is our strength to carry us through.
Raphael ben Levi
www.rogerlenk.co.za
