Gospel Reflections #758: Our healing and peace can only come from being united with Christ

Jeremiah 8:22 "Is it that there is no frankincense in Gilead, or that there is no physician there? Why cannot the wounds of my people, my daughter, be told?"

This is the voice of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah himself expresses his lament for the people of Judah as he speaks of the Lord's merciless judgment upon Judah.

But at its essence, the people of Judah do not accept that it is because they have turned away from the Lord and worshipped foreign gods.

We, too, need to accept the Lord's hand in all things. When things happen that are inconvenient or unbearable to us, true healing is given when we accept them as they are and expect the Lord's presence for His guidance and strength to face the situation.

Gilead is located on the east side of the Jordan River, where frankincense is used as a medicine. It was very close by and could be easily obtained, but Jeremiah expresses his frustration at not being able to do so.

Jeremiah is thus a weeping prophet.

Jeremiah's lament is really God's own lament, which first of all represents the justice that must be avenged against sin.

It is not the love of God that is without justice and just and lovely. Yet love and justice are perfectly united with them.

It is God Himself who most does not want them to perish.

Jeremiah did not cease to cling to God in the midst of his sorrow.

The time when one really feels the need to pray is when one feels as if one's strength is running out and life is slipping out of one's hands.

God is a God of love and justice.

Justice clearly shows us the consequences of our choices, but God does not stop there.

With his justice, he works to turn us around, and he does not turn his face away from those who sincerely ask him for help.

This does not mean that sickness is cured in this world, but rather that sickness, suffering, and sorrow are healed in the Kingdom of God.

Our healing and peace can only come from being united with Christ.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.