October 9

In Jeremiah 28, we see a conflict between false and true prophecy. Hananiah promises quick relief, but Jeremiah delivers God’s harder word—that exile would last seventy years. In contrast, Jeremiah 29 brings the famous letter to the exiles: Build houses, plant gardens, seek the welfare of the city, for God has plans to give them hope and a future. Chapters 30–31 unfold promises of restoration, climaxing with the new covenant where God’s law will be written on hearts, and sins remembered no more. Judgment is real, but hope is greater.

Psalm 79 echoes the grief of God’s people under judgment. The psalmist laments the destruction of Jerusalem but pleads for God’s mercy and deliverance. It is a raw cry from the depths, yet it clings to God’s steadfast love.

James 5 calls believers to patience in suffering, reminding us that the Lord’s coming is near. Just as farmers wait for rain and prophets endured hardship, so we too are to persevere. James urges us to pray in all circumstances, trusting in God’s power to heal, restore, and save.

Together, these passages remind us that though we may walk through suffering, exile, or waiting, God’s promises are sure. He calls us to endure with faith, to cry out for His mercy, and to trust that His future is full of redemption.

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