Scripture Reading(s)
Jeremiah 31:1-6
31:1 At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
31:2 Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,
31:3 the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
31:4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall take your tambourines, and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
31:5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy the fruit.
31:6 For there shall be a day when sentinels will call in the hill country of Ephraim: “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.”
Reflections
This passage speaks to the restoration of the nation of Israel. Having been in exile, God is now assuring His people that He will once again, take them back into a loving relationship with Him. He also reminds them that His love for them is everlasting and He has not changed, rather their sinful ways is what caused them to fall away from God.
God’s love for us is steadfast and never changes. Regardless of what place we have found ourselves in our relationship with Christ, He is always going to assure us with the same promise of being restored. This is something that the nation of Israel had experienced countless times and yet through each downfall, God remained faithful to His people.
As God’s children, He will never stop pursuing us and calling us to forsake sin’s snares and follow after Him. It’s His love that should stir up in our hearts a strong desire to keep living a life that honors and pleases Him. His desire is to use each and every one of us for His purpose and Glory. God’s goodness is what ultimately leads us to repentance and an understanding that we are in need of a loving Savior and relationship with Him.
When God is tugging at the strings of your heart, do not ignore His plea to bring you back to Him. Understand that its only through an going relationship with Him that our lives are filled and have true meaning.
Jeremiah mourned the despair of his native people as they were bombarded and held captive in a foreign land. He lamented their plight and interceded for them. Through Jeremiah, the Lord spoke to His people and laid out a plan of restoration and hope. The snippet of Jeremiah 31, above, is just a glimpse into the plan that God showed the great prophet. No matter how bad things got for Israel, God assured them that in the end they shall live in peace and eternal security.
The voice of the prophet still speaks to us today. In a time when turmoil is mounting and wars are breaking out, we are reminded that in the end God will set all things right. We will one day live in peace with no suffering and no more tears. We will walk with the Lord and the light of His glory will outshine the sun. Do not lose hope in our eternal promise.
[Featured image from biblia.com]