Jeremiah 16  The Lord tells Jeremiah to not get married and not to have children.  The future is going to be so horrific that he would not want a wife or children to face it.  Sons and daughters.. mothers and fathers.. "will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth." 

Jeremiah is not even supposed to lament or mourn or console the people of Judah.. ".. for I have withdrawn My peace from this people, declares the Lord, My lovingkindness and compassion."  There will be no words of comfort.. no consolation.. "Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride." (v9)

"Now it will come about when you tell this people all these words that they will say to you, 'For what reason has the Lord declared all this great calamity against us?'"  They couldn't believe that God would actually do what He said He would do!  Don't we hear the same thing today?  

But, God says it clearly.. " because your forefathers have forsaken Me.. and followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them, but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me." 

And there it is.. the same sinfulness that fills the hearts of people everywhere.. stubbornly walking according to their hearts.. filled with evil.. forsaking God and His Holy Word. How can we ignore this.. that the same destiny will come upon our own country that has greatly forsaken God too?

Judah would be devastated.. many would die..and all that were left would be sent into exile. 

But.. it is not the end.. for a day would come when God would "restore" them.  "Behold I am going to send for many fishermen, declares the Lord, and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt for them from every mountain and hill, and from the clefts of the rock."

Then the Lord makes this promise.. "Therefore behold, I am going to make them know - This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they will know that My name is the Lord."

Father.. You are our strength and our stronghold and we take refuge in You .  We know that the punishment sent upon Judah for their sinfulness is going to come upon the whole earth one day.. perhaps soon. Like Judah, our nation.. and many nations.. have forsaken You.  They walk in their own ways and refuse to listen to You. We know that many people refuse to believe.. or if they say they believe.. they don't know You in Truth.  So, we pray that You would send fishermen.. to bring people to Jesus! Hunt for them and bring them to the Truth. Let Your glory.. Your might and power be seen that people will know that Your Name is the Lord.  We ask this in the Mighty name of Jesus. Amen.