There is room for complaint in the church. You can complain. But complaining without repentance is of no use.

As a pastor you should be strongly involved in what is happening with and in your congregation. You may bring God’s Word to the church, but you also bring the church to God (in prayer).

There is balm in Gilead; there is a Physician who can heal—God himself. He came to the earth in Jesus to bring restoration and healing, along with the way of forgiveness. Behind this is the fact that God could not contemplate the misery of this world and our lives. He himself came to restore it.

This means that the way of captivity does mean the end of a period of God’s people (the old covenant from Moses), but not the final end. Later in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:1–40) the prophet is allowed to announce a new covenant that will not fail because of the sins of God’s people.

This does not mean that we can just live as we please (see Hebrews 12:25–29 for this). We, too, will have to seek forgiveness and healing every day from God, the Father of Jesus Christ. That is the only way we will be saved.