Thurs.’s Devo - Hope For a Future Generation

Read: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5
God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the well-being of the people because it was not going to happen even if they fasted and prayed. Their sins were too great to repent now. Their prophets prophesied peace and safety but they would eat their words when they found themselves destitute on the streets.
Jeremiah could see into that day of judgment and destruction and wondered if God had rejected Judah completely or if there was any hope.
God’s answer was that even if Samuel or Moses pled with him for this people he would not save them. They were doomed for death. There would be no hope for these people.
Then Jeremiah turned his concern towards himself since there was nothing to be done for the people. He reminded God what of his obedience and faithfulness to say what God had told him to say. God promised to be a wall around him of protection.
God told Jeremiah not to marry or have children in this place or to attend a funeral. These were to be signs that it is pointless to plan a future when it was about to be taken from them and God would not even mourn their deaths or have pity on their calamity because they brought it on themselves. He had reached out to them for years in order to save them but they refused to repent so now they would eat the fruit of their labor.
But…one day, God would bring them back to their own land and restore and rebuild them. There would be hope for a future generation.
Paul encouraged the church at Thessalonica because they had been persecuted for standing for the truth of the gospel. Paul longed to come in person to be with them and lift them up but when it became impossible, he sent Timothy. He reminded them that they were destined for trials because they bore the same mission that Jesus had.
Timothy must have come back to Paul in the middle of his letter because he received news from Timothy of their love and faithfulness which made Paul so glad. I love Paul’s prayer:
May the Lord make our love increase and overflow for each other and may we be strengthened in our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.