May the mumbling commence!

Only God can cure the incurable.  Where humanity fails, the Lord of all heaven and earth prevails.  Read the word of the Lord from Jeremiah 30:12b-17a –

'Your wound is incurable,

       your injury beyond healing. 

There is no one to plead your cause,

       no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. 

All your allies have forgotten you;

       they care nothing for you.

I have struck you as an enemy would

       and punished you as would the cruel,

because your guilt is so great

       and your sins so many. 

Why do you cry out over your wound,

       your pain that has no cure?

Because of your great guilt and many sins

       I have done these things to you. 

But all who devour you will be devoured;

       all your enemies will go into exile.

Those who plunder you will be plundered;

       all who make spoil of you I will despoil. 

But I will restore you to health

       and heal your wounds.'

Why cry out and complain?  There is nothing we can do to change things.  No one will defend us.  There is no remedy or healing or cure.  It is the Lord’s will that we suffer the consequences of our sins.  But it is also the will of the Lord to restore to health, to heal the wounds, and to provide the remedy for the cure.  What is impossible for humanity is possible for God.  It is another reason not to cry.  Read the word of the Lord from Jeremiah 31:15b-17a –

"A voice is heard in Ramah,

       mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children

       and refusing to be comforted,

       because her children are no more." 

This is what the Lord says:

"Restrain your voice from weeping

       and your eyes from tears,

for your work will be rewarded,"                   declares the Lord.

"They will return from the land of the enemy. 

So there is hope for your future."

Though there may not be hope for now, there will be hope for our children.  Speaking for myself as a father, there is no more comforting words.  I love my son and wish him hope.  He should live far beyond me.  He will carry my fingerprints of parenting and faith.  Faithful parents will have their work rewarded – even if they do not see the reward in their lifetime.  The Promised Land will be rebuilt and replanted in this time of new covenant.  Read from Jeremiah 31:27-28; 33-34a –

"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals.  Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the Lord.

"This is the covenant I will make

       with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord.

"I will put my law in their minds

       and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

       and they will be my people. 

No longer will a man teach his neighbor,

       or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'

because they will all know me,

       from the least of them to the greatest."

With the Law of the Lord etched upon our hearts, we will be replanted in the Promised Land – from the least to the greatest.  May our hunger and desire to know the Lord dry up our tears.  Even the worst of times will come to pass.  We have eternity with our Lord to look forward to!  Talk about hope that has both quality and quantity!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out