Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

As Gilbert and Sullivan famously wrote in HMS Pinafore, things are seldom what they seem. The people being taken to Babylon as prisoners were probably bemoaning their fate, envying those left behind in Jerusalem, but this whole revelation, comparing the groups of people to baskets of figs, turned that on its head. Being taken as forced exiles seems to have shocked the group taken into genuine repentance, and as the Lord says here, they truly came to know Him as Lord. Thinking about it, Daniel was part of this first group, and he was one of the most upright people in the whole Bible. We don’t see the end from the beginning the way God does, so we don’t recognize which things are tragedies and which are actually blessings. What this chapter shouts to me is that we need to trust God and indeed thank Him for everything, just as Paul said to do. (Ephesians 5:20) That can be a real faith-stretching exercise at times, but the results are out of this world!

I have experienced this in various ways, though not to the degree of the people in this passage. I well remember my response when my father went directly to heaven from anesthesia at 64, that he wouldn’t have to retire, and knowing that it was a blessing for him. It felt like a huge loss at the time, because I had just had 2½ months of deep fellowship with him, adult to adult as well as father to son, and I wanted more of that! However, the experience was ultimately a blessing to me as well as to him, and talking about it has impacted many people in the years since then. Just yesterday I had a much more minor incident, where I was shopping and left one of my wallets at the store. (I carry two, because I have so many cards of one sort and another.) It was a big deal, because it had my driver’s license, insurance card, and other legal paperwork in it that would have been a major headache to replace. However, when I realized my loss I called the store and they had my wallet, and despite being nervous about it, my drive back to the store was uneventful. I had visions of needing to produce my license for one reason or another! I don’t know of any specific benefit from the experience at this point, but at the least it was further training to trust God and not panic. And I am certainly glad I live in Japan, with such a high level of public safety!

Father, thank You for Your love and grace that always plan good things for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) I do continue to pray for my brother in Christ who wrote a song based on Jeremiah 29:11-12, and who just lost his wife. Thank You that he is indeed walking in faith, and that You will continue to bless and use him for as long as You keep him here, before letting him join his wife before Your throne. Thank You for the example that he is to me, and to all who know him. May we all grow in faith and obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!