Favorite Verse
I grew up going to a church building to worship on Sundays. I remember going to Sunday School classes and youth group gatherings. My Grandma used to take my sisters and me every Sunday while we lived with her in Peru. Then my mom took that job. As long as I remember, church, faith and God – the creator of heaven and earth – has been a part of my life.
God’s Word – the Bible or the Scriptures – has been a part of my life as well. I went to a Christian middle school and I remember memorizing Bible passages on a weekly basis. I still remember some of the ones I memorized, but the Bible verse that I remember the most is the one that my grandma passed on to me.
The passage is a famous one and is from Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) and it says, “Call to me and I will answer and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” I am not sure if my grandma knew the role of the prophet Jeremiah and the context in which this passage takes place, but she knew that she could call on God at any time and God would answer. Why? Because He promised to do so!
Jeremiah was a messenger (a prophet) of God’s justice and grace. His job was to warn God’s people (Israel) of God’s judgement if they didn’t repent of their evil ways – idolatry – and return to the Lord their God. Jeremiah predicted or prophesied that the empire of Babylon, would come as God’s servant to bring this judgement on Israel by destroying Jerusalem and taking the people into exile. And sadly, this came to reality. Repentance is a big theme in the Bible and is the main theme in Jeremiah and it means to stop and turn from our evil ways (not loving God as Lord and our neighbors as God loves us) toward God. Because of this message, Jeremiah didn’t have many friends, and he endured loneliness and rejection. But in addition to the message of judgement, Jeremiah also spoke of hope.
In chapters 30-33 we hear God’s hope for Israel’s future. He will renew his covenant with them and transform their hearts. God encourages Jeremiah and the people of Israel to call unto God or to pray. And God promised that He would answer the call of His people. In this passage, God shows that He hasn’t abandoned His people.
You and I became children of God when God gave us faith in Jesus and when we were baptized. We are His people and His encouragement and promise is ours today. Call unto God and He will answer you. Why? Because God, the one who formed the earth, is faithful to His word. I think my grandma knew this!
What is your favorite verse? Do you have one? Why is it your favorite? If you do, share it in the comments. See you next week!