The Message

If you were to ask me what the one verse in the Bible that I love and cherish the most, the one verse that has meant the most to me was...I would say, Jeremiah 33:3. In fact, you see it in the upper right corner of my blog. It is what is called a "life verse."

At Women of Faith I bought a new Bible. It's the Women of Faith Message Bible. I've never owned a Message Bible before and really have never read one, other than a verse here or there, but mostly because it was used during services or something. So what better excuse is there than that to get a new Bible. (Trust me I don't need an excuse! Bibles are just about as bad as shoes! In fact, I think I have more Bibles than shoes!) I was a little apprehensive of the Message because it was different. In fact it's still hard to read because I read the verses as I know them, not as the pages say. So when I read out loud I quite often catch myself "filling in the blanks" with KJV or NIV. The good part is that that means I have memorized more of those Bibles than I ever thought.

Back to Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things thou knowest not." God is using this new Bible to show me great and mighty things. It is fascinating how just a few change of words can make a light bulb go off or set a fire deep inside me.

This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it liveable and lasting,
known everywhere as God: 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you
marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.'

This is what God, the God of Israel, has to say about what's going on in
this city, about the homes of both people and kings that have been demolished,
about all the ravages of war and the killing by the Chaldeans, and about the
streets littered with the dead bodies of those killed because of my raging anger
- about all that's happened because the evil actions in this city have turned my
stomach in disgust.

But now take another look. I'm going to give this
city a thorough renovation, working a true healing inside and out. I'm going to
show them life whole, life brimming with blessings. I'll restore everything that
was lost to Judah and Jerusalem. I'll build everything back as good as new. I'll
scrub them clean from the dirt they've done against me. I'll forgive everything
they've done wrong, forgive all their rebellions. And Jersalem will be a center
of joy and praise and glory for all the countries on earth. They'll get reports
on all the good I'm doing for her. They'll be in awe of the blessings I am
pouring on her.

Yes, God's Message: 'You're going to look at this place,
these empty and desolate towns of Judah and streets of Jerusalem, and say, "A
wasteland. Unliveable. Not even a dog could live here." But the time is coming
when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people
exclaiming, "Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love never quits,"
as they bring thank offerings into God's Temple. I'll restore everything that
was lost in this land. I'll make everything as good as new.' I, God, say so.

Jeremiah 33:2-11

WOW! These are words of God. Not just words but promises of God. Promises to Jeremiah as he sat in prison. Promises of renewal and hope. I can only imagine that Jeremiah was desperate, tired, worn-out, hopeless, scared and overwhelmed by all the darkness that overtaken the city and surrounded his life. God who made the earth, comforted him.

The reality is that these promises were not just for Jeremiah, they are for us. They are for Israel but also for all believers. For all who call out to God. God does the same for us today, as He did for Jeremiah. He comforts us. He speaks to us. I 100% believe that God's Word is alive and speaking to us today. Re-read the verses above and everywhere that you see references to the city or Jerusalem, put in yourself. What we've ravished and destroyed because of our own doing, our own rebellion or because of the sinfulness of someone else, God promises to make it whole. He promises to renew it. He promises to make it as good as new. There will be a day that our lives will be a celebration of His glory. We will hear laughter in our souls once again. As we praise Him and search Him out, He will restore all that was lost in our lives. Because His love never fails!

Do you know, I couldn't tell you how many times in my life that I have read this passage...but never has it jumped off the pages to my heart like it has reading it yesterday and today. It is just confirmation of His promise that if we call out to Him, He will answer and He will show us things we could never imagine!!!