“‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.’” — Jeremiah 23:5 NIV

This is an incredible Messianic prophecy. Jeremiah was writing thousands of years after Moses. He was writing to a nation (Judah) that was being punished. Its people had been attacked and were being taken captive into a foreign land. They had lost their king and their land. What a strange time for God to talk about a coming King. The people were experiencing some really tough times. I am certain they were not in the mood to hear hopeful words about the coming of a King. They had lost their faith in God and were angry with Him. If they felt anything, it was abandonment, not redemption. How difficult these words of promise must have been to hear and understand.

Have you ever been in that place in your life when even the hopeful promises of God are hard to hear? Things are so bad and so difficult that it is impossible to think hopeful thoughts. You can read them. You can hear them. They just seem to be SO impractical and not for you. If you have been in this place, then you can relate to the people Jeremiah was speaking to. But listen one more time and understand that God doesn’t see things the way we do. We find ourselves in a dark place and think that everything has changed. It is just not true. Things may have changed for you, but not for God. God does not change, nor do His words and promises.

God knows and understands the place you are in. He will lovingly see you through it the same way He did the people of Judah. God radiates light even in dark places. Everything is light to Him. There isn’t a moment that He isn’t working out His plan and will. To Judah, and to us, He provides a promise of Hope that the day is coming when this dark period will end and He will restore everything. To Judah, He assured them that this dark time of punishment would end and He would not only bring them back to their land but He would provide them a righteous King who would reign forever. In 1 Peter 5:10, Peter says, “And after you have suffered for a little while the God of grace who called you into His eternal glories in Christ Jesus will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Like the people of Judah, the words might fall on deaf ears today. But the day is coming when you are going to need to hear these words of promise and hold them as certain and true. Be certain today that there is never a day that God doesn’t see His divine design for your life. Even in our dark times He speaks to our hearts words of truth, promise and hope.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.org