11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of
those stronger than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy on
the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD —
the grain, the new wine, the oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered
garden,
and they will sorrow no more.
13 Then maidens will dance and be glad;
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into
gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy
instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with
my bounty,
declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:11-14
Yesterday morning I read Jeremiah 31, and it fit right in with the theme of gardening, planting, growing and watering, so I decided then to choose it to write about today.
If you get the opportunity, please read all of Jeremiah 31 today?
It has a beautiful description of God’s love for us believers in Jeremiah 31, verse 3 and 4, so I might as well share it now.
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
I will build you up again
and you shall be rebuilt,
O Virgin Israel…”
That is God speaking to His people, past, present, and future.
He loves us with an everlasting love. Are not those words some of the most beautiful words spoken over you, dear child of God?
He draws us with lovingkindness. He promises to rebuild us when we have been broken and are laying in the dust.
Here the LORD was speaking to the Israelites (His People/The Church), but this “Word” also speaks to you and me today as we believe in our LORD.
It is never too late to believe in these precious promises from God, either.
So cling to those verses above from Jeremiah 31, Verse 3 and 4 today, and I will as well.
Don’t we all need to remember God’s everlasting love in the broken world?
Things and people can be harsh and life can be hard, but then we have these beautiful words to wash over us.
God’s Words that speak life to the soul and refresh us and bring us back to full life in Christ!
Next, let us take a quick look at the Bible Verses quoted above from Jeremiah 31 verses 11 to 14.
The promise in these Bible Verses is that God will indeed redeem His people, captive Israel.
We are His Church today, and these promises hold true for us as much as the Israelites returning from captivity in Babylon.
We are captive to sin, and God’s promise is to renew us, draw us to Himself in love, bring us back into a covenant relationship with Himself.
God’s goodness leads us to repentance and, as we grieve over our sin, He pulls us back into the fold.
This is how it was then, and this is how it is now, and this is how it will be until the LORD returns, for those who love the LORD their God.
God delivers us out of captivity and makes us new again.
God waters us with His lovingkindness, and makes us like a thriving garden.
He picks us up when we are broken, humbled, and at the end of ourselves.
When life is hard and circumstances make us weary, God gives us the refreshing dew of His love, His goodness, His Spirit to revive us to life!
As always, this refreshment from the LORD will be at its fullest when we enter His presence for eternity.
For now, though, God provides us with Himself, His love, His redeeming grace, and that, dear reader, is enough.
We have what we need in God.
The hardships in life draw us closer to the one who provides what we need.
We need our LORD.
Let us strive to become like a well-watered garden under His love, thriving, growing, maturing, and prospering for His own glory, for His will, for His plan.
And then one day we will together sing of His love, in our perfect, eternal home.
Until then, let us cling to His precious promises, His love, His redeeming grace.