~ written by Connie Dunmyer
We just experienced a rather large snowstorm, which is causing most Ohioans to be confined in our homes. Days before the storm, stores were packed with people making preparations for such a confinement. Shelves were emptied of milk, eggs, bananas and toilet paper. I guess these are things we hold most precious.
I tend to like the occasional confinement of a snowstorm (as long as I get to keep power).
There is something a bit comforting in being "all tucked in" with a blanket of snow. The world seems to quiet down. And all I hear is my heartbeat. …
... And then I run back inside to the warmth of the fireplace and cup of hot cocoa.
There are other confinements in life that are not so comforting – be they physical, emotional and/or spiritual...
Sickness. Pain. Loneliness. Poverty. Prison. Abuse. Persecution. Addiction.
The prophet, Jeremiah, knew about confinement all too well. Much of his prophecy came while he was imprisoned, including his prophecy about restoration. (Jeremiah 33)
1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:
Everything that God told Jeremiah are promises made while Jeremiah is at his low point. God “showed up” and gave such a magnificent promise WHILE Jeremiah was still confined.
Has that ever happened to you? It sure has to me. I am “confined” for one reason or another and all hope seems lost. Then as I come before the Father to either cry out or complain – the word of the Lord will come upon me.
I am still confined. But the word of the Lord is true – back then – and today – for Jeremiah – and for me. And so I believe and cling to these words.
3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
It’s right there. The Lord and Creator of the Universe, says to call upon Him and He will answer. Oh I get it. I don’t always hear His answers. And so since it’s either not what I wanted to hear, or what I expected to hear, I tend to think He didn’t answer at all.
I have begged for answers. But in my begging, was I really coming in faith, or was I just after the “why” of the situation? Or is it possible that my ears have become tone deaf to His voice?
Musical tone deafness is: “A neurological condition where the brain struggles to interpret sounds as distinct pitches, notes, or melodies.” Perhaps the answer lies in the word “struggles”. I am struggling to interpret God. When in fact, God is calling me to REST, to TRUST, to read His word, and then keep my eyes and ears open for the “great and unsearchable things” He will show me.
After verse 3, God enumerates a list of promises of what WILL happen. All is not lost. He has an answer for every confined space in our lives.
- Health & healing
- Abundant peace, security & prosperity
- No longer captive
- Restore fortunes
- Rebuilt as they were before
- Cleansed from sin, forgiven rebellion
- Filled with sounds of joy & gladness
- Pastures for shepherds & flocks
- The Lord our Righteousness (wow!)
Which of these promises is an answer to your confinement? I have several for myself.
After God promises these things, He ties it up with a big red bow by saying that He will prove His word true by saying that the only way this doesn’t happen, is if the day & night no longer work, if day & night were to break faith - - - as if that were even possible. Thus proving that everything God said would indeed happen.
26 For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.
God will restore. He will restore what was lost. HE will do so. No one else – not even me.
Admittedly, there are times when God seems silent. But in actuality, God has already spoken. Perhaps He gave me a promise some time ago. It’s now up to me to hold onto that promise. To believe that God said it, and when it is time, it will happen. Or perhaps God spoke, and I ignored what He said because it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Again, it’s up to me to revisit that conversation, repent, and listen again to His words. I don’t pretend to know the mind of God, nor do I possess all the answers I’ve asked for. But I’ve been here before and found His word true.
I do not say these things lightly. These are the hardest lessons to learn and practice. And it does take practice.
If you are in confinement, use the quiet to meditate on God’s Word. Memorize what you can. Even a short verse. It is a healing balm, I promise. Memorizing a piece of scripture helps us cling to Him.
“I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7
“You will keep him in perfect peace, him whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts you.” – Isaiah 26:3
“In repentance & rest is your salvation. In quietness & trust is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15
“For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous, You surround them with your favor as with a shield.” – Psalm 5:12
“The Lord your God is with you. He is might to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18
“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.” – Psalm 62:11-12
Singing songs of scripture are helpful. Listening is good, but singing is better. Turn on a Christian radio station and sing as loud as you can – even if you don’t know all the words. Just do it. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. If you need His Presence, that’s where you can always find it. In Praise.
There’s a phrase in the song “Raise a Hallelujah” that says “Sing a little louder … Louder than the unbelief.” To be sure, unbelief can be loud. So lately I’ve used singing louder as a way to drown out the sounds of unbelief.
And if you are not in confinement, use this time to make preparations for your soul, just like all those people at the grocery store. Set in supplies. Read as much of God’s Word as you can. Find a new song that stirs your soul. Or find someone else who IS in confinement and be a blessing to them. Pray a promise on their behalf. Encourage them with a song.
But above all else, whether in or out of confinement – praise the Lord our God!
11 “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.”
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© 2026: Connie F. Dunmyer, All Rights Reserved.