Mourning the End of Summer
Read: Jeremiah 8:18-22.
It’s August, and that means that there isn’t much left of the summer season. The days are noticeably shorter, the mountain flowers are gone, and the back to school sale signs greet us in the stores. Where did the time go?
Like summer, life moves on much too quickly. We have great intentions that are never fulfilled and dreams that are deferred. It is late, and some things simply will never get done.
Around 600 B.C. the people of Judah woke up to a day of enormous frustration. They had planned so many wonderful things. They had thought they were on the edge of tremendous national prosperity. Their king, Josiah, had rebuilt the Temple and had energized the nation.
However at Megiddo, Josiah lay dying, his army crushed, and the people scattered. “Jeremiah,” they cried, “it’s late! We had such high hopes, such fantastic dreams for ourselves! But it’s late! The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
It’s kind of like our churches in August. We have a hard time getting anything done because everybody has headed to the mountains. The people of Judah were suggesting that even God was on vacation. They asked, “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” When things are not working out, we want to know why God is not at work.
But listen to God’s word, relayed by Jeremiah, “Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?” God turned their questions around, and asked why they were pursuing foolish priorities.
Do we think that God will overlook our laziness and procrastination, ignore our lack of discipline, and pull off a miracle for us when it is too late?
How did Jeremiah respond? What were his insightful words? “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” This cryptic phrase means that no matter how bad the situation, no matter how difficult the task, God is able to bind up the wounds and comfort the brokenhearted.
Yes, it’s August, but it’s not too late for God to bring about healing and new life. It may be that we are mourning the end of summer because we know we are not what we should be. But see what God can do! There is a balm; there is a physician.
Prayer: As our Physician, O God, restore to us the joy and meaning of life, even in a world of dismay. Amen.
Wayne Dvirnak
Ministry and Mission Coach
Northern Front Range
and Wyoming Clusters |
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