Contemplative Bible Reading

Jeremiah 30:11 (New Living Translation)

11 For I am with you and will save you,” says the Lord.

“I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.”

God is talking to the people through the prophet Jeremiah. God begins with, “I will save you.”

Whew! Comfort. This story is gonna’ end good. And those dastardly nations who killed many of the people? God will destroy them. Good. They had it coming.

Uh, oh, wait, there is more (isn’t there always more?). God cannot let the people go unpunished. God will discipline the people. Uh, what? The discipline will come with justice. I don’t like “justice” in this context. That sounds like I’m “gonna’ git what I deserve,” and I don’t like gittin’ what I deserve.

There is this nagging thought that God cannot let people go unpunished when they deserve punishment. Surely, today, this doesn’t hold, right? I mean, we won’t be invaded, conquered, and hauled off into slavery into another country. Will we? There are other types of punishment that can come from God. Many other types. I don’t want to experience those. I won’t even type the words here while typing these words.

Nevertheless, there is punishment. Please God, have mercy on me and help me in my unbelief.