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From David Brickner
➤ Read David’s thoughts on what we can gain from Jeremiah’s advice to people who were completely devastated.
Dare to Hope
More Christians have been martyred this year than at any other time in modern history. The moral decay of our culture has many believers wringing their hands while others who claim to know Christ are compromising on the clear teaching of Scripture. You might say these are dark days for followers of Christ.
The prophet Jeremiah lived during a similar time in Israel’s history. He was charged by God to prophesy judgment on his own people because they disobeyed God by conforming to the sins of those around them; their idol worship, child sacrifices and religious prostitution had polluted the land. Jeremiah spoke God’s truth in power. He condemned sin and foretold judgment. The Babylonians—invaders from what we know as modern-day Iraq—would pulverize Israel’s armies and drag the people away into captivity.
For pronouncing such a message, Jeremiah was rejected by almost everyone— and especially by his own family. They plotted to kill him. He was humiliated, publically beaten and mocked; he was shamed as he was whipped and put in stocks in the public square. Finally he was thrown in prison and flung into a deep pit, a cistern that was like a quagmire of oozing mud and filth where he lay sinking and freezing and near death.
Jeremiah was broken and lonely, yet he wasn’t without hope. In fact, he not only lived with a profound sense of hope, but he actually wrote a letter to the people after they were taken captive in Babylon, daring them to hope in the midst of their exile. (See Jeremiah 29:4–7)
How amazing that Jeremiah wrote this letter at all! Remember, these people had caused his pain and suffering and imprisonment.
I don’t know about you, but if it were me I would have been tempted to write a letter saying, “See. I told you so. You should have listened to me. But now you’ve gotten exactly what you deserve.” But Jeremiah doesn’t do that. Instead he writes to encourage them, to comfort them in their distress, to offer them good advice and hope for coping with their pain and loss. I find that striking.
And that is exactly how God responds to us. When we experience the consequences of our disobedience, He doesn’t gloat or say, “I told you so.” He looks to forgive and bring about our redemption.
I was thinking about this recently as families of the Charleston massacre victims, grief stricken over their loss, offered forgiveness to the murderer and called on him to repent and receive Christ. The whole world was amazed to see such good people. But it’s not merely that they were good people; they were God’s people. And those people, acting in His strength, showed the world what a good and loving God looks like.
When we choose forgiveness and grace toward those who have done us wrong, we, too, can show others what God is like. And we can do this because it is how God has shown Himself to us.
The second thing that strikes me about the prophet Jeremiah is this: he gave the best possible advice to a people who had experienced complete and utter devastation. They had experienced such trauma, such profound loss, that it was only natural for them to despair of life.
Don’t just become a hater of the situation. Learn to live for what good God can make out of it.
But Jeremiah says (if I can paraphrase), “Hey guys. You have to keep on living. Even in exile there is hope, because the God of hope promises to be with you. Now you have to reshape your expectations. Don’t just become a hater of the situation. Learn to live for what good God can make out of it.”
All of us today are living in a kind of exile because ultimately our truest home is with God. Yet God still wants us to live full of hope now and to do good even in our exile because ultimately we represent Him. Our exile may feel like a real sense of loss.
Eventually life delivers the blows of loss and disappointment, even to those who are obedient, as Jeremiah was. Painful disappointments in our relationships may result in loneliness and alienation. Or maybe things haven’t turned out the way we hoped in terms of our job and career. We may be struggling with bitterness over any number of unmet expectations. Some are facing declining health, even the prospect of death before we feel ready for it.
We all, at some point, realize the temporary nature of life. The things we think will make life perfect can’t ultimately satisfy us. Even if we have little or no disappointment in our relationships, career, etc.—even the best of the most wonderful life is tainted with temporality. And the knowledge that whatever we have on this earth is fleeting has caused many people to despair.
That’s because we are made for a permanence that is found only in God’s presence, a love and a joy that never fades—that is what we truly seek, even if we aren’t aware of it. And that is what only He can give.
Meanwhile, this is God’s encouragement to us: We don’t have to let regret over what we don’t have rob us of the joys God is offering. But to experience those joys, we need to dispense with our fear of losing every good thing He gives us. We also need to dispense with the “if only’s.” If only this didn’t happen, if only I got that job or married that person or lived in that house. Similarly, we can stop wishing that this or that didn’t happen because guess what? It did.
We can never hope to avoid the pain and brokenness of life this side of heaven—yet we can live hope-filled lives because God’s mercies are new every morning.
Those mercies give us every reason to open our eyes and see what God has for us right here, right now. We can engage with people, be a light to the world around us and also experience and enjoy the blessings that God is offering us here and now.
Not only are His mercies new every morning, but His eternal promises are secure. So taste and see that the Lord is good. He is the only pleasure that never fades away but keeps getting better and better until that morning dawns when we stand in His presence with no more tears, no more sorrows, but only the pure, rich and ever-satisfying love of God.
We can have a measure of that experience now and tomorrow and the next day and the next. We need to believe that and declare that, and order our lives around that ultimate reality. No matter how dark the horizon, we can dare to hope because we know for a certainty, the best is yet to come.
David Brickner is also an author, public speaker and avid hiker. Find out more about David, his writings, speaking schedule and possible availability to speak at your church
➤ Watch David’s video and see what God is doing through our outreaches in Israel, Moscow and New York City!
Top Stories An exciting report from Moscow
More from Moscow!
10 Jewish people and 13 Gentiles have prayed to receive Yeshua so far! 279 Jewish people who don’t know the Lord have given contact info to hear more about Jesus. The team has handed out more than 114,000 gospel broadsides. Meanwhile, we have teams following up and doing drop-in visits: so far they have met with 59 people!Here are some stories to encourage you and keep you praying for God to pour out His Spirit throughout this campaign:
Michael, a volunteer, reports, “Last year during the Moscow campaign I began a conversation with a woman (not Jewish) who was selling various items. At first, she was angry. But two minutes later she came back and asked me to pray for her because she had a headache. I prayed and it stopped. She was so amazed that she said, ‘Praise God!’ After that she agreed to pray one more time, and she surrendered her life to Jesus. This year I had a sortie (tract-passing expedition) in the same place, and I saw the same woman. She recognized me, and it was wonderful to hear that she continues to grow in her faith at a local Baptist church. Praise God for the fruit that He allows us to see!”
Also from Michael, “Often when I talk to Jewish people, I see they are afraid to give their contact information. I have developed a few responses that often put them more at ease. I was talking to one man, hoping to get his contact information. He was refusing my best attempts. I stopped trying and offered to pray for him. He agreed, so I did. After the prayer he changed. His heart melted, the fear was gone and he wanted to give me his contact information. Always remember, prayer is the best and the most powerful way to drive away fear.”
Anatoli reports, “I had just visited one young Jewish woman and was about to leave, when I saw the elevator doors opening. An elderly Jewish woman that I’d visited in a different part of the city the day before stepped out. Imagine my surprise when the younger woman I’d just visited greeted her, saying: ‘Hi, mom!’”
Daniel, a volunteer, reports, “I was putting tracts under windshield wipers, feeling bad that I probably wouldn’t get to speak to anyone, when I saw a man who seemed to be Jewish and approached him. He was very sincere and we had a nice conversation. I shared the gospel with him and prayed for him. Then he told me a bit about his life and how he’d had a few heart attacks but, miraculously, was still alive. I told him that there are no coincidences and that God has a plan for him. I shared the gospel and asked if he’d ever prayed to receive Jesus in his life. He said no and agreed to pray. It was the first time since I’m volunteering with Jews for Jesus that I got to lead someone in a profession of faith!”
Norma, a volunteer, reports, “I asked God to allow me to lead someone to Yeshua. Soon after, I met a group of four young women. I shared the gospel with all of them and they responded by saying they understood they were sinners and believed what I said about Jesus. When I asked, two of them agreed to pray and let Jesus enter in their lives. Of the two, one gave me her contact information, and she was Jewish.”
Natasha reprts, “I and one other sister took the database and did cold-calling. As a result of phoning people, we met ten Jewish people willing to hear more from us, and two older Jewish women prayed to receive Jesus! Praise God!”
Dmitri reports, “I was phoning to follow up people who gave their contact information, and got to speak to Lev, who said he attends the synagogue regularly. When I invited him to our Shabbat meeting, he refused, saying that he can’t drive on Shabbat and we were too far away for him to walk. Then I asked him if he is still interested in knowing more about Yeshua. When he said yes, I offered him to meet him the following week to have a coffee and talk. He agreed. Please pray for Lev’s heart to be open.
“A Jewish woman called our office after getting our tract in the morning. She said she called because the person that gave her the tract was so extremely nice that it left her amazed. She promised to come to our Shabbat meeting.”
Please continue to pray for more salvations and fruitful follow-up in Moscow!
Camp Gilgal: 14 Jewish campers received Jesus this summer and more than 50 recommitted their hearts to HimGet a Glimpse
This summer we ministered to nearly 200 Jewish children and youth ages 8 to 18 years old through our Camp Gilgal programs in California, Michigan, New York and Germany. Camp Gilgal is part of our commitment to raise up a new generation of Jewish believers in Messiah.
Fourteen campers, some from unbelieving homes,* surrendered their hearts to the Lord. More than 50 of our campers recommitted their lives to Him. One camper who made a first time commitment
to the Lord has shared his new faith in Jesus with the rest of his family and has been worshiping God on his own at home. Another camper wanted to start telling her unbelieving friends about Jesus.
So many campers came with doubts about their faith and left camp secure in their relationships in Jesus. Many also conquered fears and grew in personal confidence through camp activities. All the honest conversations about the Bible, faith and life in the midst of God’s beautiful creation made for a wonderful summer.
We praise God for moving in the hearts of our campers and staff. The restart of our Camp Gilgal Midwest teen camp under the leadership of David and Arielle Randle was especially encouraging. Most of our camp staff have grown up attending Camp Gilgal. Many go on to serve with Halutzim (our teen discipleship/missions trip to New York), Massah (our young adult discipleship/missions trip to Israel and India), and some have even gone on to serve on our missionary staff. Whatever way God leads them, we are grateful to have the opportunity to minister to them along the way.
Please pray for our campers as they return to school and resume their normal schedules, that they will continue to grow in their faith and shine the light of Messiah to their family, friends and classmates!
*We require parental consent for ministry to all children.
Brief video from a Behold Your God Israel campaigner tells a surprising story
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RealTime delivers breaking news and views on Jewish evangelism, as well as inspiring perspectives from executive director David Brickner. Check back often for the latest updates. You'll find reasons to praise—and opportunities for prayer.Jews for Jesus
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