Sometimes, we must just stop and soak in the Words of the Lord. Recently my soul and spirit have felt parched, dry, wanting. Particularly, as I see all that is around me. Worse, if I listen to the rumble from the news. At times it would seem unbearable. Perhaps like Jeremiah, I cry forth “When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me….. Oh, that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 8:18,9:1). Deep within my heart bleeds for this our nation; yet, this I know. Without the people turning to God, repenting of all their sins; only judgement can come. I do not know the answer; but I do trust God. Therefore, I await one day not too far away.
His mercy is such that He waits one more day that one more may be saved. He too endures the sorrow, knowing that for all those who come to Him will know His peace.
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: (Isaiah 26:2-4)
Yet, I face each day; because I see those bright moments in which daily, He pours forth His rich blessings on me. The acts of love, kindness I see around me. I have seen His miraculous hand protecting and guiding. His arms of love reaching around me, even when I feel so sad or alone. I am not alone, for He is with me.
God’s Reply To Jeremiah
Why, then, do these people..[k]
continually turn away from me in apostasy?
They hold fast to their deception.[l]
They refuse to turn back to me.[m]
6 I have listened to them very carefully,[n]
but they do not speak honestly.
None of them regrets the evil he has done.
None of them says, “I have done wrong!”[o]
All of them persist in their own wayward course[p]
like a horse charging recklessly into battle…. (Jeremiah 8:5-6)
“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.
Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.[h]
They have become powerful in the land,
but they have not done so by honest means.[i]
Indeed, they do one evil thing after another[j]
and do not pay attention to me.[k]
They do one act of violence after another,
and one deceitful thing after another.[o]
They refuse to pay attention to me,”[p]
says the Lord.
7 Therefore the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:[q]
“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction[r] and test them.
The wickedness of my dear people[s] has left me no choice.
What else can I do?[t]
8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows.[u]
They are always telling lies.[v]
Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths,
but their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.[w]
9 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.
“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!” (Jeremiah 9:3.6-9)
So, like David, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13).
But I KNOW, God is Good. He is Sovereign. And He is working ALL things together for good to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
ONE DAY, NOT TOO FAR AWAY
This life is but a fleeting moment in comparison to eternity. One day, not too far away, I shall be with Him. I will understand all that day. Until then, I pray He hold my heart steady and give me the words to point others to Him. Let me not bow beneath the cares of this world and lose my voice for Him. That would be what Satan desires—to squelch my voice of praise and worship—a joyous worship. So, I must not allow His arrows of bitterness to enter in. Lord hold forth steady my shield of faith, give me more when mine is wanting. Let me live in the knowledge that Isaiah 35 will be my resting place one day, not too far away.
Isaiah 35: (NET)
Let the wilderness and desert be happy;[a]
let the arid rift valley[b] rejoice and bloom like a lily!
2 Let it richly bloom;[c]
let it rejoice and shout with delight![d]
It is given the grandeur[e] of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the grandeur (the GLORY) of the Lord,
the SPLENDOR of OUR GOD.
3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,
steady the knees that shake.[f]
4 Tell those who panic,[g]
“Be strong! Do not fear!
LOOK, your God comes to avenge;
with divine retribution he comes to deliver you.”[h]
5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear.
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will burst forth in the wilderness,
streams in the arid rift valley.[i]
7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,
the parched ground springs of water.
Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,
grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.
8 A thoroughfare will be there—
it will be called the Way of Holiness.[j]
The unclean will not travel on it;
it is reserved for those authorized to use it[k]—
fools[l] will not stray into it.
9 No lions will be there,
no ferocious wild animals will be on it[m]—
they will not be found there.
Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,
10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way.[n]
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them,[o]
happiness and joy will overwhelm[p] them;
grief and suffering will disappear.[q]
And so, to conclude
I can await one day, not too far away because I can trust in Him to holds my hand. He will strengthen my heart. “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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New English Translation (NET)
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