Daily Devotional

Is it me, or are there days that just feel impossible? Frustrations pile up, setbacks stall, and devastating news feels like it paralyzes. Times like these remind me of one of the darkest times in my life. I had just been medically separated from the United States Marine Corps, I was recovering from an ACL reconstruction, and I remember feeling the most alone and depressed that I’d ever felt in my life. It’s moments like this that feel like the sun has gone dark, the world has gone cold, and suddenly you feel alone, left wondering, “Is it always going to feel like this?”

One of the encouraging things about reading Scripture is the reminder that it was written by real people, who experienced real problems, and Jeremiah was someone who knew what it is like to face overwhelming darkness. God’s people were experiencing the consequences of their unjust behavior and mistreatment of others. Their homeland was being invaded, the prophet Jeremiah was in jail, and their situation seemed hopeless. Yet in the midst of everything, God asks Jeremiah to do something strange; He asks him to buy a field (vv. 6-8). An odd time for a real estate investment, but God was asking him to trust what his eyes couldn’t see.

In one sense, God was telling Jeremiah, “What feels like complete darkness won’t last forever. What appears to be something that can never be fixed still has a future. And if you buy this field, good will grow here again.” So, Jeremiah bought the land, saved the receipts by putting them in a clay pot that he knew would last a long time, and trusted in the promises of God, even though darkness was all around him. And eventually God’s promises came true. Jeremiah shows us that when the pain is real, the hurt feels overwhelming, and the darkness feels like it will never end, even still, God’s promises are true.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.