Friends in Christ,
Jeremiah 3:14-17
Nostalgia afflicts people of every age and state in life. How much better things were . . . when I was a child, free from adult anxieties . . . before I took this dead-end job . . . when we had an open friendship, before I betrayed his trust . . . when praise seemed to flow readily from my heart. . . . The people to whom Jeremiah was speaking had every reason to look back longingly on better days. After their beloved king David, and his wise and powerful son Solomon, the kingdom had been divided and ruled by one weak or corrupt shepherd after another, with only a few righteous rulers interspersed. The ten northern tribes had been decimated by the Assyrians, and now the Babylonians were a growing threat to Jerusalem. About all they had to cling to was the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolized God’s dwelling among his people. Who could blame them for regretting the past?
To people in these desperate straits, Jeremiah offers bold hope: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jeremiah 3:15). Not only will God dwell among them but his saving presence will attract people from every nation on earth (3:17). His presence will be so palpable that they won’t need the ark any more: “It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; nor shall another one be made. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord” (3:16-17).
We know that this prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through him we have a new birth that can transform our stubborn hearts. Of course we worship his real presence in the tabernacle, but we also know that his dynamic presence is not limited to one time or place. Jesus moves among us every day in our brothers and sisters and in the cry of the poor.
If we continue to look back wistfully at God’s past action, we risk missing his action here and now. How is God leading and guiding me today? How is he working today to soften my selfish heart? Whom else does he long to gather today through my words of invitation and testimony? Open your eyes today, and see the Lord in your midst!
“Thank you, Jesus, for your work in my life up to this point. I am ready to encounter you and to move forward with your plans and purposes.”
To people in these desperate straits, Jeremiah offers bold hope: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jeremiah 3:15). Not only will God dwell among them but his saving presence will attract people from every nation on earth (3:17). His presence will be so palpable that they won’t need the ark any more: “It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; nor shall another one be made. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord” (3:16-17).
We know that this prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through him we have a new birth that can transform our stubborn hearts. Of course we worship his real presence in the tabernacle, but we also know that his dynamic presence is not limited to one time or place. Jesus moves among us every day in our brothers and sisters and in the cry of the poor.
If we continue to look back wistfully at God’s past action, we risk missing his action here and now. How is God leading and guiding me today? How is he working today to soften my selfish heart? Whom else does he long to gather today through my words of invitation and testimony? Open your eyes today, and see the Lord in your midst!
“Thank you, Jesus, for your work in my life up to this point. I am ready to encounter you and to move forward with your plans and purposes.”
I wish you a blessed weekend,
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