Recovery And Healing

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard: Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it – the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and before the sword: The Chaldeans are coming in to fight and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness. I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

Jeremiah 33:1-9

It has been twenty-five years since Mount St. Helens first erupted in one of the greatest natural disasters of modern times. The top of the mountain was blown into the atmosphere and became a dark plume of pulverized rock 11 miles high. At the same time, avalanches of rock, mud, and ice swept down the mountain, destroying everything in their path, clogging rivers, and stopping ships. In that same time, the federal government has spent over one billion dollars on recovery of the area. There is a process of recovery going on. Plants, flowers, trees and animals are all coming back to Mount St. Helens. Similar to Jerusalem, we can see God’s forgiveness and healing for the disastrous results of our disobedience.

True spiritual recovery often takes time. But as we allow the LORD to clean up our lives, He can safeguard us against future failures. Christ’s cleansing power can remove the most stubborn stain of sin.

Our Daily Bread – May 18, 2005