Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 30:17, NIV- “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’
I LOVE how God’s Word speaks to us. I am careful not to add or subtract but I am also trusting God and His Spirit to feed and restore us.
I have come to believe that it does not matter why or where we are brought to the LORD’s commands, He will speak to us what He wills. For instance, I am working my way through the Celebrate Recovery Step Study books for the scriptures provided for healing.
In Lesson One entitled “Denial,” The Living Bible version of Jeremiah 30:17 was used, “God’s promise: “I will give you back your health again and heal your wounds.” In the acrostic for Denial, the L stands for “Lengthens the pain.” In other words, the longer we deny our afflictions the longer we will endure pain. It is better to be honest and bring our afflictions immediately to God so He can restore us back to health.
Reading for context this morning, I stopped in my tracks. Have I been looking at my afflictions, which are plentiful, wrong all along? The LORD came to Jeremiah to tell him what to say to the people of Israel while they were taken into exile. Jeremiah 30:12 states “For thus says the LORD: ‘Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe.” (NKJV) The NIV translation says, “your injury is beyond healing.”
Is it possible that God has no intention of curing and taking away our afflictions? Although incurable, He does promise to restore and heal our wounds.
I recall a conversation I had many years ago with a friend who mentioned that, although saved, they still had a “God-sized hole” in their heart that was never filled. My question, at the time, was what if this is not a hole to be filled but a conduit that keeps us coming to God?
Reading Jeremiah 30 this morning, I am having the same reflection. Did God create us with incurable afflictions so we would need to continually come to Him? If no one were ever sick or injured, would we need hospitals and medical workers?
We need God. Instead of putting all our efforts into ridding ourselves of our afflictions we should put all our efforts into rushing to God with our afflictions for restoration and healing. We spend a lot of energy denying, hiding, and feeling guilty that we have problems. Just maybe, our afflictions are exactly what God intended for us so we would continually need come to Him. God did not say, in Jeremiah 30 that He healed His people, it states that He healed their wounds.
It is ok to be incurable. We just need to run to God constantly. Jeremiah 30:15 even asked “Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.” (NKJV) Because of the multitude of our afflictions God does miraculous things for us. As Jeremiah 30:18 promises, the LORD will restore us, and we will end up in our proper place. Jeremiah 30:19 points out that songs of thanksgiving and sounds of rejoicing come from us, not because of the absence of afflictions but because of God’s restoration and healing.
We have these thorns in the flesh that continually bring us back to the LORD our God. Thank You LORD for restoring us and for healing our wounds.
Today’s Prayer: Almighty God, LORD of Jacob thank You for healing our wounds and for restoring us. I am bringing my afflictions and wounds to You now for restoration and healing. I am lifting my voice with thanksgivings and rejoicing in You as I share what You have done for me. Amen.
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