When my daughter received a pair of pet crabs as a gift, she filled a glass tank with sand so the creatures could climb and dig. She supplied water, protein and vegetable scraps for their dining pleasure. They seemed happy, so it was shocking when they disappeared one day. We searched everywhere. Finally, we learned they were probably under the sand, and would be there for about two months as they shed their exoskeletons.
Two months passed, and then another month elapsed, and I had begun to worry that they’d died. The longer we waited, the more impatient I became. Then, finally, we saw signs of life, and the crabs emerged from the sand.
I wonder if Israel doubted that God’s prophecy for them would be fulfilled when they lived as exiles in Babylon. Did they feel despair? Did they worry they’d be there forever? Through Jeremiah, God had said, “I will come to you and fulfil my good promise to bring you back to [Jerusalem]” (Jeremiah 29:10). Sure enough, seventy years later, God caused the Persian king Cyrus to allow the Jews to return and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–4).
In seasons of waiting when it seems like nothing is happening, God hasn’t forgotten us. As the Holy Spirit helps us to develop patience, we can know that He’s the Hope-Giver, the Promise-Keeper and the One who controls the future.
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
REFLECT & PRAY
How does understanding God’s character help you when you’re waiting? What’s the relationship between doubt and faith?
God, help me to have faith in You as I wait. I believe You’re involved in my life and You care about my situation.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Sometimes the prophet Jeremiah is called the “weeping prophet” because of the way he grieved over the people being taken captive by Babylon. In Jeremiah 13:17, we read: “If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.” It’s just one expression of the prophet’s many tears shed for his people (see also 9:1, 18; 14:17; 31:16). Lamentations 2:11 also describes Jeremiah’s tears as he observed the fall of Jerusalem.
Bill Crowder
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