Daily Devotion – October 20, 2021 – Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison
Jeremiah 31:7-9
31:7 For thus says the LORD: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O LORD, your people, the remnant of Israel.”
31:8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.
31:9 With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
This passage is a picture of the restoration God wants for God’s beloved children. God speaks as a loving parent who just wants return and blessing for children who have been separated and suffering too long.
Have you ever want restoration? For a relationship that has died? The health you used to have that has disappeared? A pet that got lost? A group that used to be a community that has fallen apart? Then you can probably relate to this passage of Jeremiah. The Lord encourages folks to sing, to proclaim, to praise, and to come together from all directions, no matter what condition people are in. Even blind and lame folks are welcomed back, through tears, to a beautiful paradise.
In order to appreciate restoration, sometimes you have to be lost first. While no one ever wishes to be lost, God wants us to know that if we are lost, we will surely be found. There is always hope, and God is the author of that hope. Look at the joy in these verses and know that God keeps all of God’s promises. God does not promise endless times of no suffering and no loss. God promises to walk with us through those trying times into the light of joy.
Gracious God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for keeping your promises to us and to all your children. Help us never to lose hope, even when we are lost or have lost someone. There will be restoration. Amen.
