“In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.”

Jeremiah 50:20 (NIV)

Sometimes when I go through the Old Testament prophets I can be overwhelmed by the negativity of what’s going on. All of the “woes” to this place and that as well as the horrific judgment that comes upon Israel. Frankly, I could find the prophets to be a bit of a downer and a low point in my Bible reading. However, in the midst of all that’s going on there’s always the hope of God that shines through like a beautiful cherry wood dresser covered in dust. You’ve got to wipe off that dust to see how beautiful it can be.

I think our lives can be like that sometimes. We can get so caught up in the negativity of the world and our place in it that we forget the promises of God. We may not think about them that much, but like our lost glasses that we look for all over the place, only to find them on our head, the promises of God are always with us. As I’ve read through Jeremiah one thing stood out. The people have sinned against God and have ignored His attempts to bring them back into His good grace so they’re going to be punished. This is atypical for the prophets and just makes sense. After all, how often has someone prophesied a good time in the middle of good times?

What I really like about the end of Jeremiah’s prophecy are the last things he tells the people.

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan; their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. “In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.” Jeremiah 50:18-20 (NIV)

God is going to deliver the Israelites from their punishment and forgive their sins. Sure, He’s going to punish the Babylonians for their atrocities against His people but what’s more important is that their sins are going to be forgiven. God tells them that there will be no trace of their guilt. Before the prophet Jeremiah, the Israelites had only tasted a small amount of God’s wrath for their idolatries and such. However, once we’re reading through the book of Jeremiah the people are being taken away by the Babylonians, and the destruction of Jerusalem is at hand.

As Christians, we’re walking through the impact of sin on this world and sometimes it can seem like a dreary mess. However, we know that God has forgiven our sins and we’re going to a better place when we leave here. Therefore, we need to remember that God has more. That everything that we see today is going away. Only the eternal things remain. When we focus on the eternal things and allow those to shape how we feel, think, and behave our present circumstances pale in the brightness of our beautiful future.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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