For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. — Jeremiah 29:11

When Israel was in ruins and facing a cruel enemy who would steal all of their glory and strip them down to their souls, God made a promise. Even though God destroyed them because they disobeyed and sinned, God’s punishment wasn’t just to punish them; it was also to save them. God promised them prosperity, hope, and a future even though they were going to die. Just like a doctor has to make a broken bone hurt in order for it to heal, God’s discipline is not random, but healing and, in the end, life-giving.

 

Thought

When Israel was in ruins and facing a cruel enemy who would steal all of their glory and strip them down to their souls, God made a promise. Even though God destroyed them because they disobeyed and sinned, God’s punishment wasn’t just to punish them; it was also to save them. God promised them prosperity, hope, and a future even though they were going to die. Just like a doctor has to make a broken bone hurt in order for it to heal, God’s discipline is not random, but healing and, in the end, life-giving.

 

Prayer

Help me, Lord, to find your grace in my struggles, not in the easing of my pain and struggle, but in the redemption and transformation of my heart and my habits to your glory. In Jesus’s precious name I pray. Amen.