Thursday, January 7, 2016
Jeremiah 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD, "because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares."
IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE SAME
"It'll never be the same again." What a profound feeling of loss we find when we realize that something we once loved will never be the same again. It's the feeling you get when you have an accident in your new car, or have to cut down a beautiful old tree. Far worse if you had to lose a limb or the ability to see or hear or walk. A car might be fixed, and new trees can be planted, but limbs don't grow back--that's an incurable wound.
God told His people in Jeremiah 30 that their wound was "incurable" as well. And yet He also said "For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal." He foretold that He would bring them back to their land and restore things to the way they once had been. Once more they would dwell in their land, the temple would be where it had been and a prince would reign over them who was from among them. Laughter and singing and joy would be again what they once were. In fact, what God is truly foretelling here is much better than anything that had previously been. For the prince that God speaks of is Jesus Christ. He would come from among His people, born of the line of David. He would establish His people as the Church of God and reign among them. Through His reign of grace and forgiveness the good days would come again. The old, "incurable" wounds would be cured. Sins would be forgiven, guilt assuaged, purpose and hope renewed and joy and songs restored. Things wouldn't just go back to the way they were, things would be better. That's the way things are in God's Church. That's the way they will be fully and beautifully in heaven forever.
Because our God restores the unrestorable and heals the unhealable all through the blood of Jesus, will it ever be the same again? No, it will be better!
