Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Psalm 25:5.

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18.

I loved this from You Are The Beloved by Henri Nouwen: “Pointers to Everlasting Peace…Joyful persons do not necessarily make jokes, laugh, or even smile. They are not people with an optimistic outlook on life who always relativize the seriousness of a moment or an event. No, joyful persons see with open eyes the hard reality of human existence and at the same time are not imprisoned by it. They have no illusion about the evil powers that roam around, “looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), but they also know that death has no final power. They suffer with those who suffer, yet they do not hold on to suffering; they point beyond it to an everlasting peace. Lifesigns.“

Have you ever driven through the night and as the night sky begins to slowly lighten, you can see more and more of the landscape before you? It was always there but becomes new as you appreciate it unfolding before you. That’s like the journey you undertake when you seek to know Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. The light of His truth and His love begins to lighten the darkness that is in this world and you long for more understanding. And you can begin to appreciate the utter foolishness in our chapter, Jeremiah 21. God has been warning the people of Judah through Jeremiah to return to Him and they have refused over and over. And now, when what Jeremiah has been warning them about is happening, they ask for a miracle from God. The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: “Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.” v. 1-2. Perform wonders for us as in times past…not that they would repent and turn to God. But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city – both man and beast – and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people of this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’ Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’” v. 3-10. What does God want? “Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says to you, house of David: ‘Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, or My wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done – burn with no one to quench it. I am against you, Jerusalem, you who live above this valley on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord – you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge?” I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the Lord. I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you.’” v. 11-14.

When you turn to God and seek Him, He shows you the way forward with His healing – the way of life. His light begins a work in your heart and mind. You find you want more of His healing. You don’t want to hold onto suffering anymore. You don’t want to hold onto anger, hate, judging…the way of oppression. You want to choose life with God. And with Him, your spirit lifts and you know His peace that only He can give. And in His peace, you understand that God is the one who brings healing into every heart turned to Him. It takes time. It takes going through the darkness before the light of God’s love can be seen. Why? Because the darkness is what we choose when we turn away from God. The way of life and the way of death...our choice. And when we turn to God? The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. And the best thing is…He walks with us through every darkness in this world and we know joy because we are with Him. The great I Am…Father, Son, Spirit. He is the one who turns hearts to the truth of His great love and healing and in Him we are healed.