Hope
Jeremiah 33:14-16
“The days are surely coming.” Jeremiah speaks these words to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. They were caught between competing super powers of the day, Egypt to their south, a declining Assyria to the north, and Babylon to the east. The political leaders of Judah and Jerusalem had consistently chosen the wrong side of this political struggle. They made agreements with one enemy to defeat another. The hole only got deeper. Jeremiah repeatedly told the leadership and the people that they were traveling the wrong direction, that they were chasing after false security, and they were listening to the advice of false prophets. He urged them to turn again to God. Tired and frustrated, the political leadership jailed Jeremiah. Nebuchadenezzar’s army is marching on Jerusalem. The force will devastate Jerusalem. The walls will fall, the streets will be lined with the dead, and the temple of God built by Solomon will be destroyed. The line of David will be ended. There will be no kings from David’s family.
Still, “The days are surely coming.” These are words of hope as the people face this devastation. These words rest on the bedrock of God’s covenant promises. As the people are surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, Jeremiah’s words remind the people where hope dwells…hope dwells in the promises of God. The promises of God look toward a different vision of tomorrow. Seeing tomorrow differently and working towards that tomorrow is hope. Not optimism that everything will turn out okay. But hope rooted in God’s promises.
“The days are surely coming.” Jeremiah’s words continue to be a proclamation of hope even as we live in these chaotic times. We are still in the midst of a pandemic in this land, even as it continues around the world. We’ve experienced so many losses in so many different aspects of our lives. Almost a year ago, there was an insurrection in the political halls of our democracy. The challenges of economic sustainability sprout up all around us. We worry about security in our homes, our community, and our nation. Still, Jeremiah’s words call to us and invite us to imagine tomorrow differently than today…and then they invite us to begin walking towards them.
Advent is about waiting for those days. Imagining what they will be and preparing ourselves to be a part of what God is doing. When you find yourself becoming impatient this week – with a friend or family member, with a colleague, with God – slowly repeat this prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflection Questions:
Compared to even a few years ago, what is your relationship with waiting? Are you more patient? Less patient? Why?
What are the promises God has made to you?
For what are you waiting for God to fulfill?
How can we rest in the assurance that God will fulfill and bring to fruition the promises God has made?