Jeremiah 31:7-14 (NRSV)
Read Jeremiah 31:7-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 7For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel." Verse 8See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. Verse 9With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Verse 10Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock." Verse 11For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. Verse 12They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. Verse 13Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. Verse 14I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.
Devotion
“Life is difficult.” Those words launch author Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled. Yes, life at times can be daunting, discouraging, depressing, depleting and difficult. Life often feels more like the desert or wilderness than the Promised Land. This has been true for God’s people of every generation, including ancient Israel.
Yet, the desert or wilderness is precisely what we need at times; a place where we can be stripped of all distractions so God can tap us on the shoulder or whisper in our ears through his still small voice.
God would have us find grace in the wilderness and put a new song in our hearts. The wonder-filled shepherd longs to lead us back to brooks of living water. Yes, God is on the side of life. He is the loving parent who gathers, ransoms, redeems and showers us with goodness and comfort. Ultimately, he is the God of surprises as he comes to us in the form of a babe.
No wonder C.S. Lewis concluded that joy is the serious business of heaven!
Prayer
Gracious Lord, grant us the supreme grace this day to trust, surrender and relinquish all, so that we might receive what you have in store for us and respond with gratitude. Amen.