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a harvest in an uncertain time

Jeremiah 40:7-12 (JDV)

Jeremiah 40:7 All the commanders of the armies that were in the countryside – they and their men – heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land. He had been put in charge of the men, women, and children from among the poorest of the land, who had not been deported to Babylon.
Jeremiah 40:8 So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite – they and their men.
Jeremiah 40:9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.
Jeremiah 40:10 As for me, I am going to live in Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have captured.”
Jeremiah 40:11 When all the Judeans in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in all the other lands also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remainder in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them,
Jeremiah 40:12 they all returned from all the places where they had been banished and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested a great amount of wine and summer fruit.

a harvest in an uncertain time

Gedaliah’s words were wise, but it was too early to see if they would work. It took courage for the people to come back again and settle for serving Babylon and wait for God’s deliverance. But courage is one of those things that is only proven over the long haul.

In the midst of this chaos and uncertainty, God gives the people of Judah a great harvest. I have found that during the times of uncertainty in my life, there was always some unexpected blessing that showed me that God is still there, and it encouraged me to keep trusting him.

This year has been one of those times of uncertainty. We have had crises in public health, politics, racial conflict. You name it, we have experienced it this year. But God has been with us, and he has blessed us.

Lord, thank you for the signs of your blessing during times of uncertainty.