Good Figs in Rotton Situations
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LISTEN TO GOOD FIGS IN ROTTON SITUATIONSJeremiah 24 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
1 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD. 2 One basket [contained] very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. 3 The LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible."
4 The word of the LORD came to me: 5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will keep My eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart. Alfred Adler quotes (Austrian psychiatrist whose influential system of individual psychology introduced the term inferiority feeling, later widely and often inaccurately called inferiority complex, 1870-1937) As a young man, film director Robert Flaherty spent many months in the far north looking for iron ore and cod. He found neither, but he did shoot 70,000 feet of film in his travels. Someone encouraged him to edit the film and make a documentary, which Flaherty spent weeks doing. But just as he finished, a match from his cigarette dropped among the celluloid, consuming the entire film and burning Flaherty badly. His response to the disaster was a determination to return to the far north and make a film of Eskimo life “that people will never forget.” He did just that, and the result was the classic 1922 documentary, Nanook of the North. A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim. God’s presence— “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5) God’s protection—”I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1) God’s power—”I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10) God’s provision—”I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10) God’s leading—”And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4) God’s purposes— “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 20:11) God’s rest—”Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28) God’s cleansing— “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) God’s goodness— “No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly” (Psalm 84:11) God’s faithfulness—”The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22) God’s guidance—”The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9) God’s wise plan—”All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28)
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