Redemption and Progress

08/24/11

082311 Jeremiah 33.3 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ NIV

Jeremiah might’ve had big questions about what was happening around him; he might’ve been confused or concerned about the measures God was taking to discipline His people. Ever been in a situation like that? Life can be very disconcerting or discomforting at times. There can be things going on all around us that seem purposeless and even senseless. Got anything like that happening to you these days?

What was going on in his life when he heard these words? The other thing is that Jeremiah was under house-arrest when he penned these words. How must he have felt to get a message like this from God when the outlook didn’t look so good?

What is going on in my life today that would give these words extra meaning or application? What am I going through at present that might need a little light shed on it by these words in Jeremiah? I’ve started a new career that is both uncomfortable and unusual for me – I’ve never done this sort of thing before. If I ever needed God’s loving assurance of His pleasure and presence, it’s nowadays for me!

What is God saying to me today through these words in Jeremiah 33.3? Well, first I consider the address of the verse: 33.3. If 5 is the number of grace, and 7 is the number of perfection; then 3 is the reassurance of the presence and notice of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; God, the three in one, is watching over and out for me. And second, as I thought about this morning on my 43-mile commute to my new job assignment, there is in fear, always the temptation to take (or to seek out) the easier, less painful route than the one I’m currently on. My new job has been very intimidating to say the least.

But what happens when God says, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’? What happens when I stay on the path I’m on and look for God in the midst of it, rather than run off to that place I’ve proclaimed (or want so desperately to see) as safe and sane? What happens when God begins to reveal to me things about myself that I’ve never seen or wanted to deal with? That can only be good, right?

And lastly, what happens in the midst of my circumstance when I choose to remain faithful to my calling like Jeremiah was to his despite what is going on around me, and possibly to me? Here’s the dealio: it ain’t about me – it’s about God and His goodness to me wherever I am and whatever I am going through. God is asking me to call to Him regardless, and His promise is to help me to continue to stick with Him when I feel mostly like bailing out. He may not give me the whole scoop, but He’ll try to help me understand that He’s always at work, and where He works, there is always redemption and progress…

Thank You God!