Things were bad in Jeremiah’s Judah. The leaders were letting their people, and God, down.
Jeremiah felt compelled to speak starkly about the wrongs he saw around him. But his vision did
not get stuck solely on the flaws he saw in the present. God had a better future in store. Like all of
the Biblical prophets, Jeremiah lived in the hope and trust that God would send a redeemer to set all things right (verse 6).

• It can be hard to hold onto hope in tough times. It’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in exile (or unemployed, have lost someone close or been hurt by a loved one). What is the hardest thing you face right now? How have you learned to draw on God’s power, and the caring of others, to help you face fear and loss? In what ways do you build your faith that, in God’s world, the future always holds hope?