God's Promise of Hope

  

"Nevertheless,...I will heal my people and will let 

them enjoy abundant peace and security."

Jeremiah 33:6

"Were your parents liberal or conservative?" I was asked.

"Neither," I said. "They were too busy recovering from the Great Depression, living through WWII, and worried about communism."

Reflecting on the question and answer I realize how differently our society has evolved. Social tensions were very different. Employment, the Draft, the Atomic Bomb, and the Red Scare leading to the McCarthy investigations. 

Social tensions today arise around Black Lives Matter, White Supremacy, Police interaction with people, wearing pandemic masks, and conspiracy theories which sometimes result in death. 

I see these issues as signs of a broken relationship with God which are not part of God's will for humanity. This brokenness is called sin.

God called Jeremiah to speak to Israel and has little good news for his people. Jeremiah explains the disaster of Babylonian exile is God's response to Israel's pagan worship, faithlessness and rebelliousness making judgement inevitable. Therefore, Jeremiah warns of destruction to come if they do not mend their broken relationship with God. That destruction is Babylon's siege of Jerusalem.

But there is hope. Jeremiah buys a field as the armies of Babylon are surrounding Jerusalem. His purchase represents hope in God’s faithfulness to his people. Jeremiah often repeats God’s promise of hope.

God promises hope. In Jeremiah 33:6 God says, "Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security". In Jeremiah 33:8 God says, "And I will cleanse away all their sins against me and pardon their sins of rebellion."

God promises hope. In today's broken society, God promises hope because God is faithful to God's people. God will heal the pain and destruction in today's broken society. 

Where do you see God's promise of hope happening ?