Day 1536

Restore us O Lord!

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 31.

Is there any hope for a nation under judgment?

Jeremiah’s final appeal to Yahweh is found in Lamentations 5:19-22, “You, O Lord, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long? Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us.” The prophet oscillates between faith and fear, fluctuating between hope and despair. In this final chapter, the weeping prophet highlighted the chaos and anarchy of Judah’s plight: water and bread were costly, the land and property were seized, the women were raped, and the children were enslaved, the leaders were executed, and the people were humiliated. What hope did they have if God was righteously judging them for their sin and rebellion?

Their hope was found in the promises of God, specifically, the promise of Jeremiah 29:14, “‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’” That’s why the despondent prophet cried out to God, “Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old.” This faithful man, in his forlorn state, invoked the promise of God, which had been written in a letter for the exiles in Babylon, but was just as pertinent to the remnant left in the ashes of God’s judgment.

Seize the moment and plea with God that He would restore to us the joy of His salvation (Psalm 51:12), transforming the ashes of God’s judgment into something beautiful for His glory (Isaiah 61:3).

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.