I have had a recurring dream throughout my life, I am grasping a rope that seems to have no beginning or end, it is totally dark, and slowly my fingers start to lose their grip. I drop my backpack, and even wiggle off my shoes in the hope of jettisoning some of my weight, but to no avail. I'm eventually left clinging to the rope with just one hand, and then just three fingers, desperately trying to maintain my position and prevent my fall. The dream always mercifully ends before my grip gives way . . .
Over the years I've come to believe that in my dream my grip on that rope represents my belief about the character of God. And while there are a lot of things that I can jettison while still holding onto the rope, I cannot let go of the only thing that stands between me and death, my belief in the goodness of God.
When so many of us find ourselves in that position, navigating waters that are getting deeper and deeper, who (or what) do we turn to? Or away from? (John 6:68)
Here's your warning that I'm about to segue into a discussion about God, His character, and what the Bible has to say about the promises He has given each of us. If this shift in our conversation is not what you can handle now, I totally understand. There have been several times in my life where I have not only doubted the love and character of God, but even whether He existed at all. God understands our unbelief and doubts, and He doesn't want us to fake what we are feeling and more importantly, what we believe. Be brutally honest with Him, He can take it.
It is my belief that scripture is the only lifeline that keeps me sane when my world is disintegrating into sheer chaos, and nothing else makes sense in my life. I pray that you will someday be able to see the futility of looking anywhere else but to God for solutions to the pain, grief, and struggles you have been encountering at this moment. Because I promise you there is no other solution to be found but Him.
In the book of Jeremiah, (Chapter 29), the people of God, His chosen tribe, receive news from God's prophet of the day, Jeremiah, that they are going to be taken away into captivity by their archenemy, the nation of Babylon for 70 years. Talk about waking up to some bad news, I mean, think about that, God is issuing a death sentence for some of the people who hear these words, and for most it will mean separation from their families, perhaps even from their children. They will be ripped away from all that they know, all that they own, and forced to live in a foreign land, as a captured people, for 70 years. God was pronouncing a lifetime of hardship, suffering, devoid of any hope in the near future. (Now for the reason behind this punishment I encourage you to read the rest of Jeremiah.)
And yet, immediately after this proclamation from God, follows one of the most recognized verses in the Bible, embraced by many Christians, but with few truly understanding the context of God's words, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place” (At this point I think I would have been thinking, "What promise? Did I miss something? You just said we are doomed to suffer in captivity for 70 years and now you're talking about fulfilling a promise?)
But God continues, (and here is the bombshell . . . )
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you …” (Jeremiah 29:11‒14).
Mind blowing.
God is assuring His people that His thoughts and intentions toward them are fixed, established, and good. His plans are for their “welfare” (šālôm), and not to hurt them. His sure and steady promise is one of restoration and hope. This promise stretches over the 70 years of captivity they are about to endure and is the lifeline they will need as they endure this season of suffering. He assures them that He has not given up on them, they are always on His mind, that He will be with them during their exile, and most importantly, He is offering them a way home, both physically and spiritually.
But He also reminds them of what they must do as they await the fulfillment of His promise. All of God's promises have conditions. They will need to call on Him. They will be required to seek Him intentionally and wholeheartedly. This will require a change in their hearts, which is the reason they were being punished in the first place. (Jeremiah 25: 8-11)
In this life we have to grasp this simple but profound truth - it is impossible to judge the heart of God or discern the mind of God because He is not like us. In our minds we tend to narrow the gap between ourselves and God, between the created and the Creator, pretending in our selfish pride that we possess the capacity to understand (and even judge!) the Almighty God.
Listen carefully, for this is an important foundational piece of good theology, that day will never come. Don't believe me? Check out what God has to say on this subject:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Have you checked out the heights of the heavens? We can't even measure the span of the heavens with the most sophisticated scientific instruments developed over the past few thousand years. How do we imagine that we can calculate the gap between God and His creation? Yet daily we disregard this truth, if we even ponder it at all. But the fact remains, if God's ways are not discernable by humans, how can we draw an accurate perception of the reality that surrounds us?
We can't.
It is impossible to correctly perceive our reality without relying upon the Word of God. Only His Word can provide us the foundation and wisdom we need to see this world as it truly is. (It's a lot like the Matrix in that sense, if you want to explore that rabbit hole . . )
Here's the truth, when we seek God, He promises to draw closer to us. We don’t see His physical form, but we can see Him at work and can start to see the world through His eyes. His passions become our passions. Trust grows as well as our faith. Fears start to subside, and then we better understand these words from Jesus, "I have come to give you life!" (John 10:10)
And the truth is, God is closer than we often realize. He sees things we don’t see, and He knows things we don’t know. He has a perspective from where He is that allows Him to see all things — the past, the present and the future — from the day we are conceived to the day we breathe our last breath, and even beyond that into eternity. He declares He is our rescuer. He is the One who will sustain us. And He is more than able to bring His plans to pass. (Isaiah 46:3-11)
All of these things were true then for the Israelites as they were carried away into captivity. And they are true for us now.
