Jeremiah 32:9-20 New American Standard Bible
9 “So I bought the field which was in Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I [a] signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the courtyard of the guard. 13 And I commanded Baruch in their sight, saying, 14 ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, so that they may [b]last a long time.” 15 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be purchased in this land.”’
Jeremiah Prays and God Explains
16 “After giving the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying, 17 ‘Oh, Lord [c]God! Behold, You Yourself have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who shows mercy to thousands, but repays the wrongdoing of fathers into the laps of their children after them, great and mighty God. The Lord of armies is His name; 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of mankind, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; 20 who has accomplished signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Are you going through a time right now where you feel stuck?
Maybe you’ve been searching for a solution to a problem for a long time, but you still can’t solve it.
You may be trying to change a relationship or your circumstances for the better, but nothing seems to change.
Or, maybe you’re hoping for a new opportunity or a fresh idea, but you’re still waiting.
When you feel stuck, it’s easy to believe that you’ve reached the end of what’s possible.
Jeremiah 32:17 has good news for you. God – the powerful Creator of heaven and earth – can do anything!
Nothing is too hard for God.
Since God spoke, made everything in creation, he can help you in your current situation, no matter how complicated or overwhelming it feels.
You can start to see new possibilities when you remember who God is.
The same God who designed stars, oceans, and human minds is still at work today. He’s not intimidated by obstacles, and his power is stronger than the obstacles you face. There are no limits to God’s love or to his power.
God loves you fully, completely and unconditionally, and he’s willing to use his unlimited power to help you get unstuck and move forward well.
New possibilities don’t always come into your life as dramatic breakthroughs.
Sometimes they come in subtle yet still significant ways, like a fresh new perspective or a nudge to try something different.
God sometimes works in ways that will stretch your thinking by challenging you to trust him far beyond what feels comfortable, feasible or even logical.
Our Scripture for today describes a real-estate transaction.
Money is transferred from buyer to seller; witnesses and officials sign and seal the transfer papers; there are multiple copies of documents and arrangements for preserving the documents.
This is not unlike what would still happen today in a land sale, except for a few things:
- Jeremiah, the buyer, cannot take possession of the land because it’s behind enemy lines.
- This real-estate closing is taking place in a Jerusalem prison, and Jeremiah is the prisoner.
- Jeremiah knows (because God has revealed it to him) that his nation will not win against the enemy.
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will destroy Jerusalem and exile the Israelites to a place a thousand miles away.
Indeed, Jeremiah the prophet is in prison because he has preached what God has revealed to him.
But God has also revealed through Jeremiah that after 70 years the people will return to build homes and farms in the land. Truly a long-term investment!
Still today, God calls us to live our lives and to devote ourselves and the gifts he has given us to long-term things—things that will last.
And the number-one example of a long-term investment that fits God’s plan is to make sure we give of our resources and time and energy to help bring others into God’s kingdom.
When you face uncertainty, your first instinct may be to focus on what you can’t do or don’t have.
But Jeremiah’s prayer turns your attention back to God’s unlimited power instead of your limited human power.
When you focus first on God’s greatness, you can see your problems from a proper perspective.
They’re still real, but they’re no longer too big to solve, because they’re much smaller than God’s power to help you.
Trusting God with new possibilities also involves asking for God’s guidance along the way.
God doesn’t expect you to figure everything out on your own.
He invites you to come to him with all of your questions.
You can ask God to help you make the best decisions for every step of the process of moving forward.
You can also ask God for encouragement.
The more you pray to see new possibilities, the more faith will overcome fear in your life.
It’s also important to remember that God’s timing may look different from yours.
Even though you may want answers right now, God may be shaping your character, patience, or faith while you wait.
Even then, new possibilities are forming beneath the surface of what you can see.
God is always at work, even when you can’t yet see the results.
Creativity is another way God brings new possibilities into your life.
A new idea, a different approach, or a fresh solution to a problem can be God’s way of opening a door.
When you invite God into your thinking, he can help you imagine what’s next.
That can lead you to solve a problem at work, find a new way to heal a soured relationship, discover a call to serve as a volunteer that you hadn’t considered before, or another wonderful breakthrough.
What’s most important for you to see new possibilities is hope.
Stay hopeful that God will help you get unstuck and move forward in the best ways, at the best time.
When you trust God to handle what seems impossible, you make room for God to move in ways that may surprise you.
God can do what you can’t do.
So, if you’re feeling stuck, ask the God who made the heavens and the earth to help you see what you can’t see yet.
New possibilities are always going to be so much closer than you think!
In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 29 New American Standard Bible
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 Ascribe to the Lord, [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due His name;
Worship the Lord in holy attire.
3 The voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over [c]many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides [d]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [e]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 [f]The Lord will give strength to His people;
[g]The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 