While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:1-3 (NIV)
Jeremiah was locked up in prison. He was put there because he was prophesying for God. Do you ever feel like you are in prison? Maybe your circumstances are hemming you in and you feel stuck?
Interestingly, God shows up even in prison. King Zedekiah was trying to keep Jeremiah quiet. He was trying to isolate him. But no matter where you go or what you are doing, God is always there. The message God spoke to Jeremiah is a message that we all need to remember.
First, he reminds Jeremiah who he is. "I made everything!" he says. "I put it all here. I put you here and the king too. There is nothing that is happening that I am not aware of." And then he reminds Jeremiah about their relationship. "Call to me! I will answer you!"
In this text the word call means to cry out. In other words God is saying to Jeremiah "Shout out to me. Reach for me. Holler! I'm here Jeremiah. I will answer you and I will show you so many infinitely wonderful things. Things you've never dreamed of before."
God is saying the same thing to us every day. He says, "No matter where you are. No matter how you feel hemmed in or stuck. Cry out to me. Call on my name and I will show up. I will respond to you and you will know you are loved."