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Daily Bible Studywith SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM

Updated: Saturday, 22 November 2008, 12:06 (GMT)

12 August 2008 | Jeremiah 31:1-17

The LORD said: Israel, I promise that someday all your tribes will again be my people, and I will be your God. In the desert I was kind to those who escaped death. I gave them peace, and when the time is right, I'll do the same for you. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Some time ago, the LORD appeared to me and told me to say: Israel, I will always love you; that's why I've been so patient and kind. You are precious to me, and so I will rebuild your nation. Once again you will dance for joy and play your tambourines. You will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria and enjoy the grapes. Someday those who guard the hill country of Ephraim will shout, "Let's go to Zion and worship the LORD our God."

The LORD says: Celebrate and sing for Israel, the greatest of nations. Offer praises and shout, "Come and rescue your people, LORD! Save what's left of Israel." I, the LORD, will bring my people back from Babylonia and everywhere else on earth. The blind and the lame will be there. Expectant mothers and women about to give birth will come and be part of that great crowd. They will weep and pray as I bring them home. I will lead them to streams of water. They will walk on a level road and not stumble. I am a father to Israel, my favorite children.

Listen to me, you nations nearby or across the sea. I scattered the people of Israel, but I will gather them again. I will protect them like a shepherd guarding a flock; I will rescue them from enemies who could overpower them. My people will come to Mount Zion and celebrate; their faces will glow because of my blessings. I'll give them grain, grapes, and olive oil, as well as sheep and cattle. Israel will be prosperous and grow like a garden with plenty of water. Young women and young men, together with the elderly, will celebrate and dance, because I will comfort them and turn their sorrow into happiness. I will bless my people with more food than they need, and the priests will enjoy the choice cuts of meat. I, the LORD, have spoken.

In Ramah a voice is heard, crying and weeping loudly. Rachel mourns for her children and refuses to be comforted, because they are dead. But I, the LORD, say to dry your tears. Someday your children will come home from the enemy's land. Then all you have done for them will be greatly rewarded. So don't lose hope. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Notes

God speaks again of his plans for restoration. He will bring his people back to the land of promise. But it's the scale and scope of God's intentions which are striking here!

There will be prosperity and abundant well-being. Everyone will be blessed, including the needy and vulnerable. God's relationship with his people will be deepened and renewed. This restoration will encompass all aspects of life!

God reminds his people of two essential things: their relationship with him is founded on his everlasting love, and he has faithfully brought them out of captivity once before. God's past actions can give us all faith and courage for the present.

So here is the shape of hope. It's not that God denies the consequences of Israel's waywardness for either his people or himself. It's that his love for them and his plans for their future totally eclipse their current nightmare. And so a good response is to embrace the not-yet and praise God expectantly!

That's true for us, too. Hope builds in us when we trust what God says and what we know to be true of him.

Think about what this passage tells you about God's heart for and commitment to his people.

How easy is it for you to sense that he feels the same about you? What difference would it make to know this?

Prayer

'When you're weary, feeling small...' - God will be there.
Take a moment to focus on God through prayer.

Today's Writer

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