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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all
the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword will find favor in the
wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.”
The Lord appeared to us in the past saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you
with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel,
will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with
the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers
will plant them and enjoy their fruit. There will be a day when watchmen cry
out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our
God.’”
Jeremiah 31:1-6
This ends today’s reading
from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As we look at the opening verses of Jeremiah 31, we see God
making a statement about His relationship with the Israelites, and in doing so,
a statement about His relationship with all His people, no matter the era.
For as we see, He was the God of all of Israel and the Israelites
were His people, and with that, there were certain things that the Israelites
would enjoy just as those who are His people will enjoy today. Let’s break
these things down, the things God’s people will have when He is with them:
1. His people will have His favor.
“The people who
survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness.”
The Israelites would have to survive the judgment was
bringing on them in the way of the attacking Babylonians. If they were able to
escape perishing by the sword of the Babylonian assault, then they would find
themselves back in God’s favor in the times following.
Today, when we persevere through life’s challenges which
include the worldly temptations of sin, then we, like the Israelites, will find
ourselves living in His favor as we ever seek His righteousness and apply that
righteousness to all we do.
2. His people will find His rest.
“I will come to give
rest to Israel.”
The Israelites were about to go through a struggle, one that
would last seventy years as they endured God’s exile punishment. But those days
of strife would one day end and God would bring His people back to a place
where they could rest once again, at ease in knowing they were home again,
returned to the favor of God.
Today, many are struggling themselves with the ways of life
which we find is not easy. In those times of difficulty, when it seems like the
storms of life are raging around us, what a comfort it is to know we can call
on the One who can calm every storm and bring us rest.
3. His people would have His love.
“I have loved you
with an everlasting love.”
No one loves us like God does. No one. It was true in the
days of Jeremiah and it’s still true today.
And note that the love God had for His people Israel, and
the love He has for us today, is not temporary but rather everlasting. In fact,
God wants to love us forever and He made the way for that to be possible by
providing a way for us to live with Him eternally through His Son Jesus, the
Savior of the world.
4. His people would experience His kindness.
“I have drawn you
with unfailing kindness.”
I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t appreciate the
kind of kindness that comes when someone does something good for them. It’s one
of the more pleasant experiences in life.
Now consider the kindness we receive from the Lord. For His
kindness does not come and go but rather is unfailing. In other words, God
never fails to extend His loving kindness to His people, perhaps no better
displayed than through His deep mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
5. His people would be rebuilt.
“I will build you up
again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.”
When God’s seventy year punishment had reached its
conclusion, the Israelites would be permitted to return back to their homeland
to begin the rebuilding process which would not only involve their homes,
towns, and cities but their relationship with God as well.
Today, God is still in the rebuilding business, tearing us
down where we need to be repaired before building us up again to be the kind of
people He desires for us to be.
6. His people would again be brought to a place of rejoicing.
“Again you will take
up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful.”
Spending seventy long years enslaved and captive in a
foreign land was not exactly the recipe for joy and happiness however
experiencing God’s deliverance and restoration would be as the people would
literally be able to sing and dance in the streets of their homeland once
again.
God still brings people out of the captivity of their
hardships and returns them to a place of rejoicing and gratitude over all He
has done. For no one can resolve the sadness of our hearts and lift our spirits
like the Lord.
7. His people would once again be blessed by a harvest.
“Again you will plant
vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their
fruit.”
God made sure that Israel and Judah were laid to waste and
left in ruins before the Israelites were taken away into exile. What was once
fertile soil was left desolate and unattended for seventy years. But that would
end when God’s judgment did and the people returning from captivity would again
be able to plant and tend to the vineyards, reaping a harvest and enjoying the
fruit they would bear.
Friends, we have so much to gain from being God’s people and
having Him as our God.
Favor, rest, everlasting love, kindness, restoration,
rejoicing, and harvest.
But guess what?
We gain so much more than this as we’ll see in part two
tomorrow.
See you then.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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