Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Jeremiah was a prophet of God who served during the times before and during the Babylonian captivity (approximately 640 B.C. -570 B.C.; Jeremiah 1:2-3). During his days, Jeremiah witnessed much that caused heartache and tears to flow down his cheeks. Jeremiah served the Lord during some of the most wicked Kings in Judah’s history. Jehoiakim and Zedekiah had this in common, “he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:37 and 2 Kings 24:19). Jeremiah served the Lord during a time of extreme apostasy of Israel. The people of Israel had adopted many of the idolatrous practices of the Land of Canaan, burning their children to the false god’s. The corruption of the people had also affected Israel on a religious level. Jeremiah 5:30-31, “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Another thing that should be pointed out is that in Jeremiah chapter 33, Jeremiah was locked up in prison (33:1). No wonder Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, there was much to make him sad.
During those times when everything seemed to be turned upside down, the Lord spoke the words of our study verse to Jeremiah. These words reminded Jeremiah of at least three things:
(1) In times of trouble, when things look dim and seem to have no chance of getting better, look toward the Lord and call on Him for help! Over and over in scripture, we are reminded to do this very thing. Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:…” We are reminded to be of importunity when calling on the Lord. Isaiah 62:7, “And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” We are reminded that the Lord will never let His people down. Isaiah 45:19, “I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” Romans 5:5, “And hope maketh not ashamed;…” When things seem dark and there appears to be no way that things will get better, what a great blessing it is to know that we can call on the Lord for help and He will hear.
(2) In times of trouble, the Word of God encourages us to believe and put our faith in the power of God! One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Acts 27:25, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” In Acts 27, the Apostle Paul (along with a ship full of people) was in the middle of a terrible storm (Euroclydon). I learned very early in my life that when a storm is named, it is a bad one. The folks on that ship had not seen the sun, moon or stars for many days. Yet, when circumstances were difficult and the things seemed dark and dreary, Paul believed God and put his faith in Him. In Luke 5:5 we find a time when the disciples had fished all the night and caught nothing. Yet, at the “word” of the Lord they “let down the net” and “inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their nets brake.” In Matthew chapter 9 we read about a woman who had a hemorrhage of blood for 12 years. She had spent all that she had in her efforts to find help, but found none. When she heard of Jesus she came to Him believing in Him. In Matthew chapter 9, she and everyone nearby learned that Jesus’ power was greater than her problem. One of the most encouraging verses in the bible is Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,…” Truly God is able to do “great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
(3) When the Lord helps us during times of trouble, we should never forget to thank Him for His temporal grace! This is something we often fail to do. How many times has the Lord answered our prayers and we fail to thank Him and give Him glory for what He has done? Psalm 105:1, ‘O Give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.” One of the best ways to give the Lord thanks for His many blessings is at His House on Sunday morning. Singing praise unto Him; praying with prayers of thanksgiving, even while making requests; and supporting the gospel that gives Him the glory for what He has done; and being encouraged to call unto Him, believing He can do “great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Amen!