Hopeful Prayer

Jeremiah had a long ministry. He started in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign, then served under Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. He accompanied the people into captivity and was there with them for many years. The final event recorded in Jeremiah's book is the release of Jehoiachin from prison, something that happened 68 years after Jeremiah first started prophesying.

Jeremiah also had a sad ministry. He saw a few years of great revival, but he saw many years of great wickedness. He saw the first, second, and third exiles, as well as an ill-advised and disastrous trip to Egypt, and the siege and fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah faced overwhelming rejection of his message. He was rejected by his neighbors, by his own family, by the priests and prophets, by his friends, by all the people, and by the king.

Over his long ministry, Jeremiah had plenty of opportunities to see the faithfulness of God. He lived long enough to see many results of what he prophesied. He saw God give instructions to him and then observed the completed out-workings of those instructions just as God had said.

Observing God's faithfulness and completion of His word gave Jeremiah courage to pray. One of his prayers comes in the final verses of Lamentations. The setting of Lamentations was not pleasant. Jeremiah mourned over the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. He mourned over the loss, the devastation, and the resulting affliction of God's people.

He did not want that sad condition to be the end, however, and he prayed accordingly in Lamentations 5:21-22. "Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us." Jeremiah did not believe that God's judgment was final and irreversible. He believed God would someday restore His people.

Sadly, there are times that God's people walk away from Him. There are unexpected and shocking rejections. There are even obstinate refusals to come back to God. Only God knows when someone has gone so far that he will not come back. In such cases, God sometimes has to remove that person from this world for the sake of His name and work.

Thankfully, however, God allows for people to return to Him. He welcomes those who have wandered and receives those who have rejected. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Like the father of the prodigal son, God waits and watches, ready to receive those who will humbly return.

Was it too late for Israel? Was Jeremiah's prayer in vain? No. Jeremiah did not live long enough to see the answer, but God did answer his prayer. More than once, God has shown that His rejection of Israel was not final. Throughout history, He has brought His people back to their land. He has always protected a remnant and has offered them renewed hope.

Has the final answer to Jeremiah's prayer happened? I don't believe so. There is a day coming when God will restore Israel to a position of immense blessing and global admiration. There is a day coming when all the Jews remaining alive will turn to God and fully follow Him. The answer to Jeremiah's prayer will be incredible.

This prayer of Jeremiah, unfulfilled in his lifetime, offers two aspects of hope. First, God extends the opportunity for those who have wandered to return to Him and be restored. Second, God answers prayer; some answers will take so long that those who pray will not see the answers, but they can still pray in faith to the God who is able to do His work.