Jeremiah 30

Bible Passage:  Jeremiah 30

Very often, I hear myself saying, “Why me? Why do I have to go through all these?”

All of us go through times of trials and period of “captivity”, when no matter how much we strived to meet our goals, nothing turned out the way we planned. Or, there could be times when we face setbacks in our life, maybe because, we have unknowingly neglected our spiritual life as well.

True to an extend, how apt it is to know that I am currently going through a setback that set me up for a time of soul-reflection. For a moment, I felt like a captive having to undergo a pathway that leads to probably nowhere.

This bible chapter in the Book of Jeremiah reflects God’s gracious love for His people – the people of Israel and Judah. Their captivity is about to expire and God promised in Jeremiah verse 1 to 4 that He would bring them back to the land of their fathers and they shall possess it. God is indeed true to His promises as He is just and faithful.

God pardons His own people, but punishes them for their sins and breaks them off the yoke of the evil one so that they can serve the Lord without fear or dismay, in righteousness and true holiness before Him for the remaining days of their lives (Jeremiah 30:8-11).

When God’s people were in captivity, as described briefly in the previous chapter (Jeremiah 29), there was a trigger to that affliction (Israel’s sin; Jeremiah 30:14-15), a purpose to their sufferings (to reflect and repent), and a hope attached to what it is to come (to first dwell in the land and do business until the Lord returns with His promise of deliverance; Jeremiah 29:5-11). We may pay for our sins and the price being our setbacks and major detours in our life, but God will make a way out for us in time. However, we need to trust and obey Him to do all of that. Have faith in the Lord and be faithful in the things at hand, and in due time, we will eventually get to our destination.

God’s love and mercy is for us, always. His punishment is a way to create detours in our life to make us stronger and more reflective in our ways. On the other hand, God despises the wicked. His wrath towards the wicked is like whirlwind but He gives grace and comfort to those who turn to Him with a humble and faithful heart. Nonetheless, the Lord reserves His anger to the day of judgement (Jeremiah 30:23-24).