OUR GOOD LISTENER

For I know the thoughts that I

think toward you, says the Lord,

thoughts of peace and not of evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

Then you will call upon Me and

go and pray to Me, and I will

listen to you,

Jeremiah 29:11,12

God's people were taken into captivity and we see Jeremiah at this particular time being a spokesman for them. The people as well as Jeremiah were ready to be finished with captivity and ready to go back home. God indicated to them the years they would spend in captivity, but they were more than anxious for it to be at an end.

In chapter 29, Jeremiah went to God in prayer and prayed a wonderful prayer on behalf of the people. After he had poured out his heart to God, God responded to him. God spoke right to the point, some of which is found in the above verses. For some reason, I have really liked this chapter in Jeremiah with interaction between him and God. I can't imagine Jeremiah's frustration and yet God's response was so loving and assuring even though Jeremiah still had no resolution to the situation.

There is something I often look for in my Scripture reading when God speaks. So often, He will begin a sentence or phrase with the two words I WILL. I don't know about anyone else but there are times when people have assured me that they would do something on my behalf and didn't come through. I also have to consider the times I have come up short in the same way with someone in need. Those two words indicate a promise whether we consider that to be true or not. When God says He will do something, it's as good as done.

I think also that we have often found ourselves in our own personal times of captivity. I realize we haven't been carried off to Babylon for 70 years but our captivities can seem a lifetime when not resolved. Captivity for us is any negative situation we find ourselves in that seems to have no answers or finish line. For some folks, captivity might be a health situation, financial disaster, loss that crosses any number of areas and on it goes. There are times we feel as helpless as Jeremiah and the people of that day.

When in that kind of fix, what do we do in the middle of all the impossibilities? Jeremiah prayed a wonderful prayer that was very respectful and we see God's answer. God hadn't forgotten His people. He was thinking about them, looking forward to good things. We may not feel in our circumstance that God ever gives us a thought. How wrong can we be. He also assured Jeremiah that He listens to every prayer. No matter what we find ourselves enduring, God is present...thinking about us, seeing our future with good things and listening to our every prayer. We are such a blessed people.

Thank You Father for Your loving attention toward us in both good and difficult times. May we be people of prayer, all the time knowing You are the best listener ever. Thank You for Your personal attention toward each of us. In Jesus precious name...Amen