Day 37

Reassurance for Israel



Jeremiah 46:1-28, Jeremiah 47:1-7, Jeremiah 48:1-47, Psalm 103:15-19, John 4:23

BY Maria Furlough

Six years ago, on this day, I said both hello and goodbye to my sweet baby boy Gideon. Through his life and death, I tasted destruction and the threat of despair for the very first time. I moaned and wept as the walls I had built around my life came crashing down. I wondered, can God possibly heal this?

The words of Jeremiah chapters 46–48 detail another destruction story, one where we find despair in almost every verse, leaving us to wonder if hope for humanity is even possible. Can God possibly heal this?

The people of Egypt “are terrified, they are retreating… terror is on every side!” (Jeremiah 46:5). The Philistines “will cry out, and every inhabitant will wail… they will be utterly helpless” (Jeremiah 47:2–3). The Moabites “will be shattered; her little ones will cry out” (Jeremiah 48:4). Darkness had fully overtaken these countries, and we learn why: because they trusted in their “work and treasures” (Jeremiah 48:7). And yet, for those who put their trust in God, there is a light that rises up. In the middle of the dark, destruction, and despair, we see that God has never left the side of those who call Him Lord.

No one in humanity is spared; death will reach each and everyone of us. At some point, whether Israelite or Egyptian, Christian or non-Christian, the walls of our lives, our cities, our possessions will come crashing down. But for those who do put their hope in God, we are not to be afraid because He promises to be with us (Jeremiah 46:27–28). Our hope does not lie in circumstances, works, or treasures; therefore, we have nothing to fear.

“Do not be afraid.” These were the words my sweet Jesus brought to my mind every morning after Gideon died. In the moments when I was beating my pillow and pleading with God to somehow give me my baby back, He was with me. In the mornings when I wept at Gideon’s graveside, wondering if I would ever get up, God was there. This is the promise we have when we give our lives to Jesus. When we choose to follow God, when we accept Jesus’s death for us as atonement for our sins, and when we seek to follow Him each and every day, then even when terror and wailing come, we have hope.

So He’s shown me the answer to my question is, yes, God can heal even this, whatever this may be. And so it is within these passages from Jeremiah: Yes, God can heal this too. Therefore, we stand in confidence, and in all things remember that, “As for man, his days are like grass… But from eternity to eternity, the LORD’s faithful love is toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:15,17).

Post Comments (58)

58 thoughts on "Reassurance for Israel"

  1. Maria Furlough says:

    What a beautiful story of hope and courage, thank you for sharing your son’s story with us Linda. And praise God for the courage that your sweet son gave you.

  2. K D says:

    Yes, God can heal even this.

  3. Jane K says:

    Melanie, I can only imagine the pain and suffering you and your family have gone through. Your faith is strong and you have persevered. I am praying for you and your children that you see God’s favor and love poured out over your lives. May He bring complete healing to your children. Lord, give them the ability to forgive and don’t let a bitter heart take root.

    1. Melanie L says:

      ❤️

  4. Linda G says:

    Yes, I too, 33 years ago, put my tiny son into Jesus’s arms. I too know the grief, the anger, the “why me” and the “why not.” Finally I am at peace with it and grateful for the 9 months and 2 days I had and knew this angel. On the night he passed I had what may have been a vision or a waking dream. I saw Jesus holding Evan and gazing down at him with a look of infinite love. Then I knew: all is well and all will be well. I confess I’ve been afraid of death my entire life after nearly drowning as a toddler, but after Evan, knowing he has passed through the veil, along with so many loved ones, gives me a bit of courage.

  5. May says:

    Kara – praying for you . This is hard, difficult-to-wrap-your-head-around times. May you feel the peace that passes understanding.

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