For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
—Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
When Israel lay devastated in the face of a ruthless enemy that would rob all the glory and strip bare the very soul of God's people, God issues his promise. While the destruction visited upon them was in response to their rebellion and sin, God's punishment wasn't punitive alone, but redemptive. In their destruction, God promised prosperity, hope, and a future. Just as a doctor must cause pain when he sets a broken bone so it may heal, God's discipline is not capricious but curative, and ultimately life-giving.
In my struggles, O Lord, help me find your grace — not in the relief of struggle and pain, but in the redemption and change of my heart and my habits to your glory. By your grace and in the name of my Savior Jesus I ask it. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
When Israel lay devastated in the face of a ruthless enemy that would rob all the glory and strip bare the very soul of God's people, God issues his promise. While the destruction visited upon them was in response to their rebellion and sin, God's punishment wasn't punitive alone, but redemptive. In their destruction, God promised prosperity, hope, and a future. Just as a doctor must cause pain when he sets a broken bone so it may heal, God's discipline is not capricious but curative, and ultimately life-giving.
My Prayer...
In my struggles, O Lord, help me find your grace — not in the relief of struggle and pain, but in the redemption and change of my heart and my habits to your glory. By your grace and in the name of my Savior Jesus I ask it. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
