3.22.2006

i remember being in elementary and loving Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." i think i used to think that meant God would call me up on the phone and tell me something really cool that i hadn't learned at school or at church. which is partially right; i love how little kids think!

i read through the entirety of Jeremiah over the last couple of months. as i was reading it, i fought feeling depressed, and almost mourned right along with Jeremiah. i was describing the book to a friend yesterday, and it went something like this: it starts out with God threatening to destroy Israel is they didn't shape up. Israel kept on sinning, kept on worshipping other gods, and paid no heed to the prophet. God promised restoration if they would turn back to Him, but they laughed and kept on in their own way. so God sent in the king of Babylon to kill those who weren't obedient, and to take captive those who surrendered to the Lord at the very end. and all in between this happening, Jeremiah shares with the reader his deep sorrow and grief over the children of Israel turning away from the One who gave them life and sonship. wow.

in the middle, i think chapters 30-33, are promises or restoration. even if they keep on sinning and ignoring the word through the prophet from the Lord, God still promises restoration after all is said and done. He is a God of hope and mercy and love. even when Israel all but spit in His face.

speaking of spitting in someone's face and still receiving mercy (what an intro, eh?), if you ever want to watch a movie that portrays God's grace better than any other i've ever seen, watch Les Miserables with Liam Neeson. there's grace all over that story. if you're more into books than movies, i dare you to try and read the book! i've yet to get up the nerve.

okay, that's a lot of background for that one verse. but it's necessary. in the midst of prophecies of destruction, and direct disobedience, and grief that is greater than that of the book of Job, is this verse : "call to me and i will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

now i don't know about you, but one of the things that brings me the most life is learning. learning how to do something, or a new concept, a revelation. something that can change your life, and will if you let it. here is a promise of that. turn away from your sin, turn away from your pride and selfishness, turn away from the gods who are described quite well in Psalm 115:4-7: "But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats." and yet He still offers restoration, he offers hope, and he offers new things. finding things like this in the Bible reminds me yet again why i do what i do, why i serve and love Him with my whole life. He is worthy. He is kind and merciful. and He is good. how could you not worship Him?

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