Jeremiah 33:3 – Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not 
known.
While he was still shut up in the court of the guard
Jeremiah had the words proclaimed as a revelation to him from God. What a blessing. To hear directly from the Lord. I don’t know that I can say that I have had that experience exactly. Wouldn’t it be great to get clear answers to our prayers? Let’s look at a couple of verses before this passage.
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it— the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:1-3
One thing I noticed is that there is a side note just before he tells us the revelation, “while he was still shut up in the court of the guard”. He got the revelation while he was alone and was shut up. Now I know that the scripture probably doesn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to talk, but I think both are needed if we really want to start discerning God’s answers for our lives.
Shut up!
When I was working full-time, I used to get really frustrated. I got tired, irritable and didn’t really want anyone else telling me how to do anything. I never stopped. I would wake up worrying, like my brain had never turned off. When my work situation changed, I found myself with a lot more time on my hands. I could stop and think. I hadn’t done much of that over the past 8 years. I felt rushed from one thing to another, not really doing any of them as well as I could have. God talks to us about stopping what you’re doing. In Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” He tells us clearly that we are to be still, like Jeremiah we need to be shut up and shut up! Do you want to know God? Be still. That’s it!
Call to me and I will answer you
You may here people say this regularly, “It was an answer to prayer.” And isn’t it wonderful when we have unexpected blessings. Sometimes we have been very prayerful, like when we’re praying for the family of someone who has passed or for the healing of someone who is sick, but sometimes we haven’t been prayerful. Sometimes, “It was an answer to prayer” is a lie. Sometimes it’s just a blessing. We didn’t actually call out to God about that problem.
I’m Hungry
My boys have this same problem with me. They say things around me like, “I’m hungry” or “I wish I could play video games.” Do you notice something about these phrases? They’re not jeopardy worthy, that’s for sure. My boys don’t often put things in the form of a question. It’s like their pontificating, not asking for anything. If they asked me, I would surely answer, “have a banana” or “have you already used up your video game time?”, but in general, they don’t ask unless I push them to put it in the form of a question.
I’m lonely
Ok, I like to be around my husband. Sometimes work gets really busy for him or he gets über focused on a hobby and I get lonely. I want some of his attention. Instead of saying, “would you come sit with me?” I say something much more passive aggressive like, “I wish you wanted to sit with me more.” (You have no idea how embarrassing that is to admit. What a brat!). While my husband was in school, he was required to attend counseling so he would know what it was like. We decided to do marriage counseling. After a few meetings, the counselor (a male) said – “Why don’t you just ask him for what you want?” My response, I want him to know what I want before I ask. But that’s not how it works with my husband or God. God wants to be in communication with us. When I talk to my husband and ask him for what I need, when he does it, I know he is showing how much he cares about me. When God answers our prayers, I think we feel the same way.
I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. I have had a problem I have been wondering how to solve. I have talked about it with friends, my parents, my husband and my boys. I have asked them their opinions and they’ve all had one. Not all of them matching. Truth be told in this situation there are many appropriate options. Guess who I haven’t talked to about it. That’s right, God. In the verse above, God not only promises to answer us, but He goes on to say that He will tell us great and hidden things you haven’t known. That’s amazing. Well since I still don’t know what to do, I’m going to have to ask Him!
God is... 