Jeremiah 15:19a,21

Jeremiah 15:19a,21 (ESV): “19 Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. 21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

The Bible is full of conditional promises—“If you do this, then God will do this.” It requires an act of obedience first, and then God will bless you. Don’t forget: you must do your part to activate the promise.

After the Lord pronounced judgment upon Judah, Jeremiah began to complain about the message he was called to deliver. He said, “Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land!” (Jer. 15:10). Jeremiah was weary of contending with the people over God’s message. In his complaining, he fell into sin. God then rebuked Jeremiah for his attitude and promised to restore and protect him if he would return to the Lord.

Have you ever fallen into the sin of complaining about what God is doing in your life? Then you can relate to Jeremiah. What we must not do is try to hide our discontent. We should bring it to the Lord, because it hinders our relationship with Him. If you repent, God promises to forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). It’s a conditional promise. Take Him up on it—and watch Him transform your life. Amen?

Father, we thank You for all Your promises. We pray that we would take note of the conditional ones and be obedient to do our part. Forgive us even now, and restore to us the joy of our salvation. You are enough. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.