Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Scripture: “…I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
Reflection: Jeremiah is known as the Weeping Prophet. He grieved over the wickedness of his people and the judgement that their wickedness would eventually bring. Although much of the Book of Jeremiah is gloomy, chapter 31, speaks of much gladness and rejoicing. God had delivered a message of hope, about the future return and restoration of Judah, thereby offering an opportunity to save this wayward people. After all the doom and gloom and the litany of transgressions, the Israelites were to receive a new covenant.
As with Israel, God literally took them ‘by the hand’ and guided them through the wilderness of their fears, confusion and hopelessness; so too does He do for us. In these times when there is even greater fear, uncertainty and confusion, we often question God’s presence and His will for humanity. We are tempted to feel abandoned in the wake of the deaths and the newly imposed restrictions that deny us much of our freedoms.
But, we know that we are children of a loving God, who will never abandon or leave us and, on reflection, we hang our heads in shame. But, despite our missteps, once we repent, God offers each of us a new relationship, one in which His very thoughts are written on our hearts such that we should not repeat our mistakes. For all those times that we choose to follow our unruly wills and instincts, God’s love remains the same, and as a forgiving God, He is prepared to forgive us.
As we reflect on our weaknesses and our sinfulness, we are minded to open our hearts to receive the covenant that leads to restoration and renewal in Him. He has done so much for us, do not walk away from this Love.
Meditation: Oh, be still and let God.
Prayer: O Lord our God, our Comforter and Consolation, help us come to a greater awareness that nothing can separate us from Your great love, and that by Your mercy, we are restored and renewed, sealed into a new covenant, by the blood of Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
The St. Jude’s Writers
St. Jude’s Church
Stony Hill
Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands
22 March 2021
