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.” (Jer 29:11-14)
This beautiful promise for Israel given during a harsh season of Divine judgment sadly fell 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 His word. His eternal purposes continued to roll forward leaving in its wake a battlefield of twists and turns and unfulfilled dreams for many.
It is an easy thing for us to ignore these important points when it affects us personally instead of the other person! This is why God underlined the point for the Jewish people never to forget! Therefore, on Holocaust Memorial Day every 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 still be discovered 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 purposes for our lives amid the imponderables and seemingly contradictory things we experience however great or insurmountable they may appear.
Remember today, especially if you are in ‘exile,’ the words of God and be comforted with a future hope that may well come to fruition sooner than you think!. This is nothing to do with New Age visualisation 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 reach forward and collect all the negative pieces of wretchedness in one pile and smile broadly with a joy that will carry us through even the worst situation.
Raphael ben Levi
