Over the past week I was blessed to be able to study the book of Jeremiah. And by study I mean: humbled, annoyed, convicted, struggled, and amazed by this book. That pretty much sums up the week of going through it, but as I look back on this book I will be forever grateful. As difficult as it was to study it, my eyes were opened to so much: starting with the fact that I am one broken sinner. If that was not obvious enough.
This book is packed with story after story of God’s mercy on Judah when they continually failed to see it. There is so much I could say about it, but from the very beginning of studying it there was one line that jumped off the page at me. Every time I see it I stare at it, meditate on it, and process it. I know exactly where it is on the page, and I can tell you exactly what colors are surrounding it. It has rocked my last week; in more than a good way.
Jeremiah 31:2 simply says, “Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest.”
Before studying the Bible in this way over the past year, any sort of wilderness or exile that I read about always had a negative connotation in my mind. If I have to be honest, I would view it as a circumstance where God has turned His back on that certain people group. Throughout studying the Old Testament over the past four months my view of this has changed. Like a lot. In book after book it is crystal clear that Yahweh’s presence was with His people throughout it all. No matter what their current circumstances were, He was with them. That in itself was grace, and the Israelites could rest in that. Story after story, God’s grace was present. It overwhelms me.
As I look back on the past year in my life it has definitely felt like a wilderness at sometimes. There have been days were I felt like I was in utter darkness and wandering in the wilderness could be a pretty accurate description. Sometimes I felt far from happy, and for the longest time I thought that was a terrible thing. I got pretty good at nailing down putting on a front like everything was okay. What can I say? I am a southern girl. We have mastered the fake smile, tilt of the head, and polite “I’m good” answer when people ask how we are. But on the inside we are crushed. What I have learned though is that not feeling happy 24/7 is perfectly okay, and the feeling of complete darkness is not a bad thing. The wilderness is not bad. In fact, it has the potential to be a place where spiritual growth can blossom. The wilderness has shown me that I am a messed up individual in DESPERATE need to God’s grace. The wilderness offers grace, and that is where rest can be found.
As annoying and frustrating as some days have been, I will be forever grateful that I found grace in the wilderness.
No comments:
Post a Comment