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Monday 7 July 2014

Jeremiah 31:1-14 - Joy and Gladness

"I will be their God and they will be my people" is the oft repeated refrain in the Bible and sums up the purposes of God.
The remnant would find favour in the wilderness. We need to understand that when we go through tough times it is in the tough times that we will find the favour of God. We so want to just get out of the situation, but often God has a deeper work to do in our lives. 
The tough times are tiring, wearing us out, but God will come to give us rest. 
We can feel that all joy has gone out of our lives, we can feel desperate and despondent, but we can also be sure that joy will return again. There is a joy that is deep that enable us to get through difficulties, but there is also a joy that is exuberant, as described here. The Lord will eventually lead us to a spacious place, a place of exuberant joy.
Verse 7 commands them to declare this salvation before it happens. It is the Lord Himself who will lead the people back. We need to expect the Lord to personally intervene in our lives.
The nations mocked Israel, but they needed to understand that Israel belonged to the Lord. 
Verse 13 and 14 speak of transformation, mourning into gladness, comfort and joy instead of sorrow. We do go through difficult times, sometimes horrendously difficult, that test our faith, that seem beyond redemption, but salvation is the goal. Joy and gladness are our destination.

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