Jeremiah 31:1-2
“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 favour in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.”
Reflection
Chapter 31 continues with the good news of the restoration of Israel mentioned in chapter 30. God promises deliverance for all the families of Israel. Please note there is a condition for someone to receive deliverance and the condition is to belong to the family of Israel. This is not an ethnic or racial sense according to our identities but by belonging to the covenant family of Israel through baptism in Christ and adherence to the word of God. This is Israel that transcends our earthly identity or geographical boundaries. All these people will be God´s people meaning that there was a time when God had disowned his people due to sin. In today´s text, we are given another chance to amend the relations because our God is a forgiving God. We might have gone through dark periods in our life and God is promising us a rest from those dark moments. Was the year 2022 a dark year for you? Let 2023 be a year of receiving God´s deliverance and rest from the powers of darkness. God does not delight in our suffering; he wants to us rest in His arms and enjoys the blessings of his creation. May the almighty God bless us all. Amen.
Let Us Pray
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the
peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by
faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your
Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
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