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The Expected End

Jeremiah 29:11, “ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

During the days of Jeremiah, the prophet of God, the children of Israel came to a very low place in their experience.  They had sinned against the Lord and brought themselves to a place of dark temporal judgement.  The Lord’s longsuffering with their disobedience has come to the end, and now they would face the Lord’s chastening hand of judgement by way of a Babylonian destruction and captivity (Jeremiah 29:10).

In our study verse we read some very precious words of hope and mercy. The Lord, through Jeremiah, promised a time when they would return to Israel; Jeremiah 29:14, “And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” Even though this people would face some difficult days of bondage and oppression, they had a blessed day to look forward to.  God would give them “an expected end.” The knowledge of this “expected end” would comfort and encourage this group of people to bear the 70 years with hope, knowing a better day was in their future.  And just as a person who would sneak peek to the last chapter in a book full of suspense, they understood how it would all turn out in the end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the children of God in the year 2019 have a similar experience.  Even though each of God’s little children face difficulties everyday of their lives, there is a better day in the future.  Today may be a day filled with pain and sorrow, but the Word of God teaches us that one grand and glorious day we will see Jesus Christ our Savior. The Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  By the Word of God, we are assured that we, in an even greater way than Jeremiah 29:10, have hope in an “expected end.”  The whole family of the Lord will someday be in the presence of Jesus singing praise to Him who loved us before the world began.  The hymn Farther Along is one that comes to my mind when I meditate upon such a glorious day, as it reads, “Toils of the road will then seem as nothing as we sweep thru the beautiful gate.” And that knowledge helps me bear the days of sorrow associated with this world a little easier.  Amen!

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